SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - SeeDevice Inc., a California-based developer of advanced image sensor technology, said Monday its defamation lawsuit against Korean public broadcaster KBS and KBS America will proceed to trial in a U.S. federal court.
The case, pending before the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, stems from reports aired and published by KBS and KBS America in August 2024 that SeeDevice alleges falsely portrayed its proprietary imaging technology as fraudulent and incorrectly claimed that government-funded research grants had been recovered.
Founded in California in 2017, SeeDevice develops short-wave infrared image sensors based on its proprietary QMOS, or quantum-effect CMOS, technology. The company claims its sensors can capture information beyond the range of conventional image sensors and are designed for applications including artificial intelligence vision systems, medical diagnostics, industrial inspection, autonomous vehicles and semiconductor manufacturing.
According to the company, Korean courts previously found no evidence supporting allegations of fraud involving its technology and rejected efforts to recover government research funding linked to the project.
SeeDevice is seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief, arguing that the reports caused severe reputational harm and contributed to the collapse of business opportunities worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
In a ruling issued in May, the federal court determined that SeeDevice's claims against KBS America would proceed to a jury trial, while claims against KBS would be heard by a judge, according to the company.
"We are confident the proceedings will show that KBS and its U.S. affiliate misrepresented our technology and caused significant harm to our reputation and business interests," said Hoon Kim, founder and chief executive officer of SeeDevice.
The company said it intends to pursue all available legal remedies and views the case as an important test of accountability for allegedly false reporting that it says damaged its commercial prospects in the United States and abroad.
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