Seoul Semiconductor sues Conrad over mobile-phone flashlight LEDs

South Korean LED maker Seoul Semiconductor Co Ltd has filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Mannheim, Germany, alleging that LEDs for mobile-phone flashlights sold by European electronic products retailer Conrad Electronic S.E. are infringing its patent for ‘Roughened Light Extraction Surface’ technology, which efficiently extracts light emitted from the internal LED structure by treating LED chip surfaces, significantly improving light intensity and brightness (a fundamental technology for LED chip fabrication).

This litigation constitutes the second lawsuit against Conrad involving mobile phone products following a lawsuit filed in July for infringement regarding backlight LED units.

The patent has already been the subject of an injunction from a German court in December 2018 against LED products from a top-10 global LED maker. The patented technology has now been registered in 12 major countries, including the USA, Europe and Asia, and has been widely used for automobile headlamps, UV and outdoor lighting, as well as mobile phone flashlights.

Seoul says it has already warned global mobile-phone makers to cease using LED products suspected of infringement. The firm investigates mobile phones incorporating such products and will consider any legal enforcement necessary if such infringement continues unabated.

To protect its patent rights, Seoul has already filed three patent infringement lawsuits against distributors of suspected infringing products in Europe alone. It plans to expand its enforcement further, given the confirmation of its technology from the German courts, where Seoul has obtained permanent injunctions against infringement of their patents. Such patented technologies are widely applicable to high-power and mid-power LEDs, the firm adds.

“Seoul will continue enforcement actions against manufacturers, distributors and end-brand companies that do not respect intellectual property,” says Seoul’s founder Chung Hoon Lee. “We will also take all necessary actions against companies that lure our employees away in an attempt to gain unlawful access to Seoul’s trade secrets.”

See related items:

Seoul Semiconductor sues Conrad Electronic

Seoul Semiconductor files patent lawsuit against second Philips TV display distributor

Seoul Semiconductor sues TV retailer Fry’s Electronics for LED patent infringement

Tags: Seoul Semiconductor LEDs

Visit: www.SeoulSemicon.com