The court ruled that the models in question (including the TCL QLED870 series) do not deliver the kind of colour reproduction expected from quantum dot LED (aka QLED) TVs.
TCL has disputed the claim.
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The District Court of Munich I ruled that, in marketing the TVs as 'QLED', TCL's German subsidiary violated the country's unfair competition law.
According to the court, the quantum dot diffusion plates used by TCL didn't improve the colour reproduction as expected. Hence calling the TVs 'QLED' constituted a deceptive trading practice.
QLED TVs work by using a blue light as the backlight. Between this and the panel a quantum dot film is applied to enhance colour reproduction. This results in more precise colours that are more accurately placed within the picture.
TCL claims its TVs do qualify as QLED as it has applied quantum dot particles on diffusion plates.
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Following the ruling, TCL can no longer market or sell these TVs, or others using the same technology, as QLED models. The court's ruling is only binding in Germany, but Samsung has launched similar lawsuits in other countries, including the US. So chances are this won't be the end of it.
We would also expect TCL to appeal.
We've contacted both TCL and Samsung for comment, and will update this story if we hear back.
TCL was previously accused of falsely claiming its TVs had QLED status by Hansol Chemical, a Korean manufacturer of materials needed for quantum dot displays. Hansol filed a complaint with the Fair Trade Commission in 2024.
Whatever the merits of the case, TCL's 'QLED' TVs have reviewed very well of late. The C7K and C6KS even won What Hi-Fi? Awards last year. Expect to hear more about this case going forward.
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Should you buy aTCL TV? Everything you need to know
Joe has been writing about tech for 20 years, first on staff at T3 magazine, then in a freelance capacity for Stuff, The Sunday Times Travel Magazine (now defunct), Men's Health, GQ, The Mirror, Trusted Reviews, TechRadar and many more. His specialities include all things mobile, headphones and speakers that he can't justifying spending money on.
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