Nichia sues Sharper Image over white LEDs
Sharper Image describes itself as “a specialty retailer that is a leading source of new, innovative, high-quality products that make life better and more enjoyable.” One such product is a mini-torch, which is a flashlight attached to a key-ring.
In its lawsuit filed in the US District Court of Northern California, Nichia alleges that the white LEDs used in the flashlight infringe the claims of US patent number 5,998,925. There is no indication as to which company manufactures the offending white LEDs.
Nichia has requested that Sharper Image Corporation should be prevented from continuing to sell the mini-torches and also that damages should be awarded.
The 925 patent describes a white LED fabricated by combining a blue LED chip with a cerium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) phosphor material i.e. the standard white LED structure used by Nichia.
Optronics admits infringement
Last month, Nichia reached agreements with two different companies without resorting to the legal action.
One of these agreements was with Optronics Inc, a US-based marketing and distribution company. Optronics had been selling products, manufactured by Chinese companies, that incorporated white LEDs made by companies in Taiwan.
Nichia claimed that the white LEDs infringed its US patents, and in April Optronics acknowledged the infringement. Optronics also agreed to purchase white LEDs from Nichia in future, to avoid further infringement.
In a similar case, an unnamed Japanese-affiliated company in Taiwan agreed to stop marketing LED products containing white LEDs made in Taiwan. Again, the company agreed to start using white LEDs supplied by Nichia.
Nichia says that it “gives serious consideration to the protection of its intellectual property and will vigorously enforce its rights against those who infringe its intellectual property in any country”.
The company also issued a statement aimed at its competitors that have signed licensing agreements with Osram Opto Semiconductors in relation to white LEDs. Nichia was keen to stress that, despite a cross-license agreement between Nichia and Osram, a license granted to a third party under Osram’s patents does not imply a license under Nichia’s patents.
