TCL has initiated a legal action against Samsung due to allegations of misleading advertising related to its new M series of televisions. This lawsuit was filed in the Los Angeles courts in the United States and accuses the South Korean giant of unfair competition practices.
According to TCL, the competitor is marketing Mini LED televisions that, in reality, use recycled LED panels from an older line. Furthermore, the more accessible prices of these models were presented as a relevant factor in the litigation.
In Brazil, the new M series models from Samsung were introduced at the beginning of August with prices starting from R$ 3,199. In comparison, TCL's most affordable Mini LED model costs a minimum of R$ 3,495 at the brand's official store.
As reported by the Reuters agency, the Chinese company is requesting a block on the sales of Samsung models advertised with this technology, in addition to demanding financial compensation. This lawsuit comes months after a victory obtained by the South Korean company against TCL in German courts, where it was prohibited from using the term QLED on its TV sets.
TCL argues that the rival's Mini LED models feature an inferior panel, which is likely recycled from standard LED equipped televisions. The lawsuit maintains that the M series does not offer 'the technological advancements associated with Mini LED.' This technology essentially operates with significantly smaller LEDs than conventional ones, promising precise pixel illumination to generate better contrast and color.
Samsung stated that it will defend itself against the accusations and reinforced its confidence in the 'quality and accuracy of product descriptions.' Although the company has offered the technology since 2021, it has always done so in devices considered premium. This year's M series represents the first offering of this type at prices aimed at the mid-market segment.
Mini LED panels entered the market in 2019 with TCL. Within the scope of the lawsuit, TCL alleges having surpassed Samsung's sales in the United States market between 2023 and 2025, arguing that the competitor failed to make the technology available at a competitive cost. The alleged false advertising supposedly allowed the South Korean brand to gain an unjustified advantage in pricing.
This is not the first legal confrontation between the two companies. At the beginning of 2026, Samsung won a lawsuit against TCL specifically for false advertising in its televisions. As a consequence of this decision, the Chinese company was barred from selling its products as QLED, a technology originally launched by Samsung itself.
In the ruling issued by the German court, it was determined that the QLED870 series televisions had only a small amount of quantum dots in the backlight, and not across the entire panel, as promised. At that time, Samsung criticized the use of a lower technology than advertised, arguing that consumers 'should never have to question' whether the panel was actually QLED.
Curiously, TCL raised the same point in this new US lawsuit regarding the use of Mini LED. According to TCL, the misleading advertising harmed 'consumers who desired higher image quality.'
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