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20 February 2018
Seoul Semiconductor invalidates Everlight’s patent in UK
© Semiconductor Today Magazine / Juno PublishiPicture: Disco’s DAL7440 KABRA laser saw.
South Korean LED maker Seoul Semiconductor Co Ltd says that it has won the patent invalidity litigation action that it filed against Everlight Electronics Co Ltd in the UK.
Purchased by Everlight from a US company in 2017, patent EP (UK) 1169735 relates to an LED package structure for thermal dissipation. Recently, Everlight filed patent infringement litigation based on a foreign counterpart of this patent against its competitor Bridgelux Inc in a US federal court.
Last year, Seoul filed invalidation litigation against this Everlight patent in the Patent Court of the UK. Subsequently, Everlight abandoned its defense and acknowledged in the court proceeding that its patent is invalid and that it is responsible for reimbursing Seoul for its litigation costs.
Based on Everlight’s admissions, on 14 February the UK Patent Court issued an order declaring that the patent should be revoked. It also ordered that Everlight must pay about $1m (£712,247.10) in litigation costs to Seoul based on Everlight’s stipulation.
Currently, Seoul is also enforcing certain of its patent rights against a distributor of Everlight LED products. During the past year, it has launched two patent infringement lawsuits in Germany against Mouser Electronics, a global distributor of Everlight LED products. In addition, in early February Seoul filed a new patent litigation against Mouser for the sale of allegedly infringing Everlight products in Italy. Mouser subsequently appears to have removed all Everlight products from its distribution list worldwide, says Seoul.
Seoul Semiconductor files German patent lawsuit against Mouser concerning Everlight’s mid-power LEDs
Seoul Semiconductor files LED patent infringement lawsuit in Germany against Mouser
Seoul Semiconductor Everlight LEDs