On October 1, 2008, Korea Intellectual Property Tribunal ("KIPT") ruled that a patent, related to LED element, (Patent # KP 491482, hereinafter "'482 patent") owned by Nichia Corporation ("Nichia) is invalid based on lack of inventiveness.
On October 10, 2007, Nichia brought a patent infringement lawsuit against Seoul Semiconductor's Z-Power LED P9 Series white LED using Nichia's Korean patent (no. 491482); Seoul Semiconductor had informed SemiLEDs Corporation that SemiLEDs’ MvpTM LED chips were used by Seoul Semiconductor in this product; SemiLEDs’ MvpTM LED technologies are developed and protected by SemiLEDs’ patents. To protect our customer, SemiLEDs had decided to defend Seoul Semiconductor against this lawsuit.
In March, 2008, KIPT was requested to examine the validity of the '482 patent. After a thorough and extensive examination of the '482 patent, KIPT determined that the '482 patent lacks inventive step and therefore declared the patent invalid.
SemiLEDs MvpTM products are manufactured using unique differentiated metal alloyed technologies developed and patent protected by SemiLEDs Corporation; MvpTM LED are on a metal alloyed base which has excellent thermal and electrical conduction. We have vigorously pursued our Intellectual Properties protection in the US as well as other markets in the world. SemiLEDs has 15 patents and more than 50 patent applications pending.
About SemiLEDs: SemiLEDs Corporation is the only mass producer of metal-base LED chips in the world. It designs, develops, manufactures and sells high brightness light emitting diodes (HBLED) using proprietary technologies to enable high performance (120lumens/watt) and cost effective solid state lighting solutions; it also manufactures UVA HBLED products (365nm, 395nm, 405nm) at optical power output up to 350mW per mm2. SemiLEDs is a U.S. corporation, with offices in Boise, Idaho and manufacturing operations in Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan. For additional information, please visit www.semileds.com.
