IP Protection Key to Future LED Business Success

Implications: 1. In the high power, emerging LED industry, for lighting, one of the ways the leading LED manufactuers can protect their business from becoming a commodity is to patent their technology and then vigorously protect it against copycats that infringe on their IP. 2. The leading supplier has been and will contnue to engage in the cross licensing of their IP when it makes sense.  Recently Osram and Philips announced an agreement on cross licensing of LED technology with each other.

Analysis: 1. Nichia and Seoul semiconductor have been, and continue to be involved in a series of IP lawsuits with Nichia vigorously attempting to defend it's IP.  At the same time Seoul has been denying Nichia claims, but has lost a number of previous lawsuits.

2. In addition to NIchia suing Seoul, Cree is involved with lawsuits with BridgeLuxe and Honeywell, Lumileds has been involved in lawsuits with
Epistar and Honeywell, and there are numberous other IP lawsuits on going in the industry.