News: LEDs
30 June 2021
Nitride wins patent license settlement from QT-Brightek
In September 2017, Japan’s Nitride Semiconductors Co Ltd (which was spun off from Tokushima University in 2000) filed complaints against global electrical components distributor Digi-Key Corp in the US District Court for the District of Minnesota, asserting infringement of its ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV-LED) patent. Nitride asserted that UV-LED products supplied by various LED companies - such as American Opto Plus LED Corp, Crystal IS Inc, Kingbright Electronic Co Ltd, Luminus Device, and QT-Brightek Corp - have been infringing Nitride’s UV-LED patent.
Further, this March Nitride filed a complaint against Lite-On Technology Corp and its affiliates in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas, asserting infringement of Nitride’s UV-LED patent.
On 18 June, in relation to the above-mentioned lawsuits, Nitride has now entered into a settlement and patent license agreement with California-based QT-Brightek Corp that provides that QT-Brightek does not dispute that its UV-LEDs infringe, and it has also agreed to respect Nitride’s patent.
Regarding UV LED makers’ products, Nitride continues to pursue patent litigations in the Minnesota and Texas courts.
With professor emeritus Shiro Sakai at Tokushima University, Nitride developed what was claimed to be the first highly efficient UV-LEDs as early as 2000. The firm has continued to manufacture and sell UV-LEDs, and says that it has invested in R&D to develop and enhance its UV-LED technology.
To protect its UV-LED patented technology, Nitride initiated its patent enforcement campaign starting in 2017. Subsequently, in 2020, a judgment was issued by the US District Court for the Northern District of California against RayVio Corp for infringing Nitride’s UV-LED patent. That judgment was also in Nitride’s favor with respect to the validity of its patent. The US Patent & Trademark Office has also confirmed the validity of the key claims of Nitride’s patent in its final judgment on an Inter Parte Review case filed by RayVio.
Nitride says that, since it considers its intellectual property rights to be vitally important company assets, it will take any action necessary to enforce its patent against infringers in any country and uphold its patents and other intellectual property rights.
Nitride Semiconductors files complaint against Lite-On
Nitride continues enforcement against infringement of UV-LED patent
Nitride files amended complaint in US against Digi-Key
Nitride files patent infringement lawsuit against Digi-Key and RayVio in Tokyo
