- 04 April 2006 -

LED lighting giants share LED-related patents

Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd., and Lumileds Lighting International BV, have formed an agreement to allow the companies (including subsidiaries) to use each other's patents for specific technologies in Group III-V semiconductor LEDs, which include blue LEDs and red LEDs.

Philips Lumileds Lighting Company holds valuable patents for high-brightness red LEDs and high-power blue LEDs. Toyoda Gosei likewise holds a number of valuable patents for blue LEDs. Lumileds and Toyoda Gosei agreed to construct an environment wherein they will respect and mutually utilize each other's technologies in order to further advance the market for LED products.

This agreement will allow both Philips Lumileds and Toyoda Gosei significantly more freedom in their development efforts by eliminating the need for concern about each other's patents. By facilitating research at both companies, new developments in LED technology are anticipated, including an acceleration of research to improve the luminosity of LEDs.

Toyoda Gosei and Philips Lumileds each intend to maintain a friendly business relationship and pursue the development of superior high-luminosity LEDs and further expansion of the LED market through fair competition.

Philips Lumileds Lighting Company's patented LUXEON Power Light Sources are the first to combine the brightness of conventional lighting with the small footprint, long life and other advantages of LEDs. Philips Lumileds also supplies core LED material and LED packaging, and manufactures billions of LEDs annually.

Web: http://www.philipslumileds.com

EDITORIAL COMMENT:

This is the latest in a series of new announcements revealing how the LED industry is trying to sort out its differences. The stakes are high in an industry sector where the rewards from solid-state lighting are potentially going to reach the multi-billion dollar scale. One of the factors affecting the timetable for this is the resolution of conflict with patents. Technically very challenging, the development of materials and devices for high brightness LED light sources had had a troubled history of disputes. Not only did this hold up the business but also cost all parties a great deal in time and money. No doubt to the dismay of the legal fraternity, LED majors have wised up and now seem to be relying on formal and informal co-operation instead of lawsuits.