Patent Disputes: Nichia, Seoul Semiconductor and Everlight

Nichia and Seoul Semiconductor, the two LED manufacturers in Japan and South Korea, have respectively reported updates regarding their intellectual property issues with the Taiwan-based company, Everlight.

Nichia has confirmed its YAG patent in Germany as Everlight and its German subsidiary WOFI have withdrawn their appeal in November. The Japanese company then requested Everlight and WOFI to provide the rendering account information for related white LED products. Nichia is going to request compensation for the patent infringement from Everlight based on the details of the rendering account.

On the other hand, Everlight has filed a lawsuit in China against Nichia for the infringement of Everlight’s flip-chip patent. The Patent Re-examination Board of the State Intellectual Property Office of China confirmed Everlight’s patent claim recently.

Meanwhile, Seoul Semiconductor announced its victory on the patent infringement lawsuit against Everlight in Germany last week. The German court then issued a permanent injunction against the sales of the accused Everlight products and ordered the distributor to recall such products from commercial customers.

(Image: Seoul Semiconductor)

In March 2017, Seoul Semiconductor filed a patent infringement lawsuit in Germany at the District Court of Düsseldorf against Mouser Electronic Inc, accusing the latter of the distribution of certain Everlight LED products which infringed a patent that Seoul was enforcing. After 20 months of litigation proceedings, the Court rendered judgments in favor of Seoul Semiconductor’s infringement claims, including ordering an injunction against sales of the accused Everlight products. The Court also ordered to recall the accused Everlight products sold after July 13, 2012 from the distributor’s commercial customers. The decision was issued in the first instance.

In response to the judge, Everlight announced that the litigation is ongoing and that it can still appeal. The company has also claimed patent invalidity against Seoul Semiconductor in Germany and China.

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