HKC Reveals License Deals with TCL CSOT, Sharp and NEC's NPE in Prospectus
On July 1st, 2025——According to the ranking of global LCD panel shipments in Q1 2025 by Runto, three Chinese companies—BOE, TCL CSOT, and HKC—ranked among the top three. HKC's IPO application was accepted by the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on June 30, 2025. In its prospectus, HKC disclosed three license agreements currently being executed.
Two years ago, HKC once attempted to go public, but in August 2023, it withdrew its IPO application (PRIP reported on wechat). However, the prospectus disclosed a patent lawsuit with TCL CSOT. Although the two parties reached a settlement and signed a cross-licensing agreement, HKC paid a settlement fee of 30 million yuan （$4.28 million）.
On April 26, 2019, TCL CSOT sued HKC at the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court for infringing multiple LCD display patents, seeking tens of millions of yuan in damages. The case also involved trade secret disputes arising from personnel mobility.
On November 14, 2019, after only a six-month trial, the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court issued an injunction against HKC, ordering it to cease manufacturing the allegedly infringing 32-inch LCD panels.
Thereafter, although HKC counterclaimed against TCL CSOT at the Chongqing Court by purchasing patents from Tianma Micro - electronics, TCL CSOT quickly filed another lawsuit against HKC at the Chongqing Court, again claiming 20 million yuan （($2.85 million） in compensation. It was precisely against this backdrop that the two companies reached a settlement and signed a cross - licensing agreement.
However, as the seven-year licensing period between the two sides is about to end, it remains uncertain whether they will renew the contract peacefully or another lawsuit will be needed. But now, in patent infringement cases in China, obtaining an injunction from the court is much more difficult than it was five years ago.