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News

19 September 2007

 

Nichia expands patent cross-license with Cree; files white LED patent lawsuit against Seoul in Korea

LED makers Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA and Nichia Corp of Anan, Tokushima, Japan have agreed to expand their patent cross-license arrangements announced in 2002 and 2005 to include additional patents relating to white LED technology and certain Cree patents relating to nitride lasers.

The agreement also resolves infringement claims Nichia had asserted against LED products sold by COTCO International Ltd (a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based COTCO Luminant Device Ltd) prior to Cree's acquisition of COTCO Luminant Device Ltd and its subsidiaries in March.

Also, Cree and Nichia have agreed to resolve any future patent disputes involving products of either company, or any affiliate in which it owns a controlling interest, through a process that eliminates any potential impact on customers. Customers can therefore buy products from ohne company free of any concern that the other company will make a claim of patent infringement against the customer based on the purchased product.

*Nichia has filed a lawsuit in the Seoul Central District Court against Korean LED maker Seoul Semiconductor Co Ltd alleging infringement of an LED-related patent.

The lawsuit alleges that Seoul Semiconductor’s top-view type white LED products (part no. TWH104-HS) infringe Nichia's Korean patent no. 406201. Nichia is seeking damages for past infringement as well as an injunction against any further infringing activity.

Nichia already has lawsuits pending against Seoul Semiconductor in the USA based on Nichia's design patents for side-view type white LEDs, and against Seoul Semiconductor and its distributor Kyoei Sangyo in Japan based on Nichia's patents for lighting LEDs. In these lawsuits too, Nichia is seeking damages for past infringement as well as an injunction against any further infringing activity.

See related items:

Seoul signs LED patent cross-license agreement with Osram; Nichia lawsuit dismissed in US

AOT loses Taiwan patent invalidation action against Seoul Semiconductor

Nichia sues Seoul Semiconductor's Japanese subsidiary over white LEDs

Visit Nichia: www.nichia.co.jp

Visit Cree: www.cree.com

Visit Seoul Semiconductor: www.seoulsemicon.com