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Nichia Corp of Anan, Tokushima, Japan has filed a lawsuit against South Korean LED maker Seoul Semiconductor Co Ltd in the Seoul Central District Court seeking compensation of KRW 500m (about JPY60m, or $540,000) in damages for defamation, as well as remedies necessary for the restoration of its reputation.

In January 2006, Nichia filed a lawsuit in the US District Court, Northern District of California, alleging that Seoul Semiconductor’s 902 series side-view LEDs (which are mostly used for liquid-crystal display backlight units) infringed its US design patents D491,538, D490,784, D499,385 and D503,388. Nichia says that, on 8 November 2007, a jury rendered a verdict stating that Seoul Semiconductor willfully infringed the four US design rights.

Nichia claims that Seoul Semiconductor damaged its reputation by distributing false statements in connection with the jury verdict, including stating on its home page that ‘Seoul Semiconductor has substantially prevailed in the litigation’ and that the products at issue are ‘actually non-infringing’.

Nichia expects the court to enter a judgment, based on the jury verdict, later this month.

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