Korean LED maker marks 100th victory in global patent wars

Seoul Semiconductor Co., the world’s second-largest light-emitting diode (LED) display maker, won a patent lawsuit in Germany, setting a record of victories in all of such 100 legal battles since 2003.

The Düsseldorf Court issued late last month a preliminary injunction for infringement of its patent against various LEDs manufactured by Luminus Devices Inc., and Lite-On Inc., and distributed by a major German electronic components seller Mouser Electronics Inc., the South Korean company said on Thursday.

Lite-On, which manufactured LEDs subject to the injunction, was also sued for patent infringement in the US in April last year by Seoul Semiconductor’s affiliate Sensor Electronic Technology Inc. (SETi) in the country.

Japanese ultraviolet LED maker Nitride Semiconductors Co. and US UV LED producer Nitek Inc., have also filed patent infringement lawsuits against Lite-On in US courts, according to Seoul Semiconductor.

STERN MEASURES REGARDLESS OF COSTS

“The court ordered a ban to sell products that have violated essential patents for high-power LED products, one of some 18,000 patents owned by Seoul Semiconductor,” said its founder and CEO Lee Chung-hoon, referring to the Düsseldorf Court.

“We will take stern measures on practices of patent infringement that deceive customers and corrupt the industry, regardless of how much it costs.”

The company and its affiliates have prioritized patent enforcement against firms that have refused to take responsibility for selling infringing products, including its prior litigation against Japan’s Enplas Corp. and Taiwan’s Everlight Electronics Co.

Seoul Semiconductor has secured eight injunctions in Europe against the sale of infringing products, including cell phones, electronic home appliances, and general lighting products.

Write to Byung-Keun Kim at bk11@hankyung.com
Jongwoo Cheon edited this article.