Seoul Semiconductor, Osram Sign License Agreement

Seoul Semiconductor Ltd. of Korea announced today it has signed a patent cross-license agreement with Osram GmbH, an LED manufacturer in Munich, Germany. Seoul and Osram -- including its subsidiary Osram Opto Semiconductors of Regensburg, Germany -- will share their patents pertaining to white and visible LED technologies. Under the agreement, the two companies "will refrain from raising any objections against any patent rights pertaining to white and visible LED technologies

Jae Jo Kim (left), executive vice president of Seoul Semiconductor, and Gerd Pokorny, senior vice president of Osram GmbH

and will cooperate in defending cross-licensed patent rights," Seoul said in a statement. A lawsuit against Seoul Semiconductor in the US is pending in which Nichia is seeking damages for past infringement and an injunction against any further infringing activity, based on Nichia's US design patents on side-view type white LEDs. Seoul also recently signed an agreement with Cree USA relating to white LED technologies, including Cree's US Patent No. 6,600,175 -- one of several Cree has granted to strategic partners under the patent. Seoul also recently announced a strategic partnership with Toyoda Gosei of Japan.