Osram and Nichia expand IP co-operation
Companies to enter into negotiations on cross licensing covering approximately 7000 new patent applications including approximately 2000 granted patents
Osram and Nichia have announced their intention to expand and strengthen their LED and laser license co-operation agreements, which were originally signed in 2002 and 2010.
Since 2011, the two companies have spent more than €2.5 billion in research and development, according to Aldo Kamper CEO of Osram Opto Semiconductors.
Now, the two companies have agreed to enter into negotiations of a cross license covering approximately 7000 new patent applications including approximately 2000 granted patents from Nichia and Osram (all figures are worldwide figures), covering automotive, general lighting, LCD backlights, display, medical and industrial applications and full range of opto-electronics products.
"On all levels of the value chain from semiconductor epitaxy to phosphor material, packaging and further downstream technologies, significant progress has been made in the past eight years and protected by a variety of new patents on both sides", said Hiroyoshi Ogawa, president of Nichia.
In order to capture their technological achievements in all existing as well as emerging application areas for opto-electronics products and technologies, Osram and Nichia will discuss a cross license that will cover the many additional patents based on post-2010 inventions.
Kamper added: "I fully share this view. As a consequence, our companies will be able to leverage each other's technological advancements, while both companies' customers will benefit from an industry leading protection in IP related matters".
