Nichia wins white LED patent lawsuit
Japan based LED producer and packager Nichia (pvt) announced that the Düsseldorf Court of Appeals has affirmed the company’s YAG[1] Patent for white phosphors used in LEDs and ruled that four products produced by Taiwan based Harvatek (6168.TT) infringe on that IP. The patents in question were granted by the European Patent Office in July 2015, and Nichia immediately began enforcement against Everlight (2393.TT) and eventually Harvatek. Nichia was granted an injunction ruling against Everlight after a vigorous court battle. The win in the Harvatek case dismisses the appeal and leaves no recourse for further appeal in that venue, although Harvatek can ask a higher court for the right to appeal further.
While Harvatek says the products involved represent only a small share of its total revenues and will not impact its business or customers, Nichia, as the world’s largest LED packager is an IP bulldog concerning its proprietary LED patents, and continues to litigate with a number of other LED producers and distributors that sell white LEDs using their YAG white phosphor, with the latest, against EBV Electronik GmbH (AVT) filed yesterday. In most cases, the litigation is followed by a license agreement but details in the Harvatek case are not yet available.
[1] Yttrium aluminum garnet
While Harvatek says the products involved represent only a small share of its total revenues and will not impact its business or customers, Nichia, as the world’s largest LED packager is an IP bulldog concerning its proprietary LED patents, and continues to litigate with a number of other LED producers and distributors that sell white LEDs using their YAG white phosphor, with the latest, against EBV Electronik GmbH (AVT) filed yesterday. In most cases, the litigation is followed by a license agreement but details in the Harvatek case are not yet available.
[1] Yttrium aluminum garnet
Global LED Packager Revenue Rank and Growth - Source: LEDinside 4/2016
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