Nichia Files Patent Suits in US, Japan

LED and laser diode maker Nichia Corp. announced this week that it filed an LED patent infringement lawsuit against hand tools maker Wilmar Corp. of Renton, Va., in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

The lawsuit alleges that the defendant is infringing several patents held by Nichia relating to LED technology. Specifically, Nichia alleges that Wilmar is infringing two of its patents concerning white LEDs (US Patents Nos. 5,998,925 and 7,531,960) and two patents directed to LED chips (US Patents Nos. 5,652,434 and 6,093,965). Nichia is seeking an injunction and damages.

Last week Nichia filed four provisional injunction actions in Tokyo District Court to enjoin Tsannkuen Japan (Sankun Nihon Denki Kabushiki Kaisha) from infringing its patents.

Nichia said it believes white LEDs used in certain LED light bulb products of Tsannkuen Japan, sold by G.K. Seiyu and K.K. Yamada Denki, infringe Nichia's white LED patents (No. 3724498, No. 3995011, No. 4109297, No. 4530094).

The patent is one of Nichia's concerning the technology of combining phosphor with blue LEDs and is employed in many white LED products that combine phosphor with blue LEDs, the company said.

For more information, visit: www.nichia.co.jp