Semiconductor patent lawsuits in the United States involving Korean companies have hit a record high this year. As chips emerge as a core industrial asset for nations around the world and Korean chipmakers post their strongest earnings ever, disputes over patent infringement are also multiplying.
Semiconductor patent lawsuits in the U.S. involving Korean companies totaled 18 through the end of July, according to data from the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency obtained by The Seoul Economic Daily on the 6th. The seven-month tally alone already exceeds the highest annual figure since the agency began compiling such statistics in 2012. On an annual basis, there were 10 cases in 2024 and eight last year. This is the first time a breakdown covering only the semiconductor sector has been disclosed among U.S. patent lawsuits involving Korean companies.
Of this year's disputes, nine were cases in which Korean companies were sued, also a record. In 2024 and last year, there were six such cases each. Lawsuits filed by Korean companies in the U.S. this year also reached nine, matching the annual high of nine set in 2022. Given the months remaining, both suits filed and suits received are expected to exceed 10 this year, with total litigation topping 20.
The sharp rise in semiconductor patent disputes coincides with the industry's strong business conditions. With Korean chipmakers posting unprecedented export results and companies such as Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) and SK hynix (000660.KS) booking massive operating profits, attempts to claim patent infringement against them and extract settlement payments have followed one after another. At the same time, Korean non-practicing entities (NPEs) have become more active in asserting semiconductor patent rights. In the past, patent disputes mainly took the form of foreign NPEs suing Korean companies, but a new pattern has emerged recently in which domestic NPEs file suits against foreign companies.
"The more important the semiconductor industry becomes, the more market attention it draws, and patent disputes over sensitive technology rights are bound to increase," said Sung Yun-mo, chairman of the steering committee at the Intellectual Property Strategy Forum and former minister of trade, industry and energy.
