Everlight wins LED patent battle
Taiwanese LED company Everlight has won a patent infringement claim involving the Japanese LED firm Nichia.
In April 2012, Everlight filed for declaratory judgment of invalidity and non-infringement of Nichia's US patents related to white LEDs. These patents (including numbers 5998925 and 7531960) involve YAG phosphor being used with a blue LED chip to emit white light.
Last week, a jury before the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan found that all asserted claims of these patents are invalid for obviousness and/or lack of enablement.
In March 2012, Everlight also filed for invalidation trial against Nichia's corresponding white LED patent in Germany (German Patent No. DE69702929 (EP0936682)). The German Patent Court in September 2014 also declared all the claims of the patent invalid and Nichia has to bear the litigation fee.
