Samsung Electronics' clothing care system "Air Dresser" has been embroiled in controversy over copying. According to the MK Weekly on September 10, Samsung Electronics announced its garment care system "Air Dresser" at IFA 2018 which was held in Berlin, Germany. However, there have been some criticisms that Samsung Electronics' products are based on LG Electronics' "LG Styler."
In 2011, LG Electronics released its first clothing management device called LG Styler and pioneered new markets. Although sales in the first year were less than 10,000 with severe criticism that it is a 2 million won luxury item, sales have skyrocketed since 2015.
More than 120,000 units were sold last year. Amid the market prediction that the domestic clothing management equipment market will reach 500 billion won this year, Samsung Electronics has recently introduced its products, raising controversy over copying them.
Moreover, Samsung Electronics is one step behind Coway, which released the clothing cleaning device in May.
Samsung Electronics explained that its product is not a clothing controller but a clothing purifier. "The only device that collects dust from clothes is Samsung Electronics' products," argued Samsung.
"If Samsung Electronics starts promoting Air-Dresser en masse, it could weaken the image of clothing purifiers that Coway, a mid-sized company, preoccupied with," an industry source said.
