09:52 uur 24-05-2017

Seoul Semiconductor Continuously Pursues patent infringement actions against Everlight products

SEOUL, South Korea–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ 046890) — On April 28, 2017, Seoul Semiconductor Europe GmbH (“Seoul”) filed a patent infringement claim in Germany at the District Court of Düsseldorf against Mouser Electronic Inc. (“Mouser), a global electronic components distributor, which it accused of selling Everlight LED products.

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In its complaint, Seoul asserted that Everlight’s Mid-Power LED products are infringing Seoul’s patent rights. Seoul has sought a permanent injunction, damages, and recall and destruction of the allegedly infringing products.

The asserted patent serves to improve the light extraction performance of LED devices by enhancing internal-reflection efficiency, which has been widely used in mid-power and high-power LEDs.

This patent litigation is the second patent infringement litigation by Seoul or its affiliate affecting Everlight’s LED products. In March 2017, Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. filed a patent infringement claim in Germany, accusing high-power LED products manufactured by Everlight as well as other LED manufacturers. These patent litigations underscore Seoul’s commitment to protecting its intellectual property rights against infringement, including products consisting of mid-power LEDs and high-power LEDs.

In addition to Seoul’s patent infringement actions, Everlight has been implicated in other patent infringement lawsuits as described below. Nam Ki-bum, Vice President of the Research Center at Seoul, said, “Several LED companies have grown rapidly in a short period of time despite a lack of valuable patent portfolios, which is like building a castle on quicksand. There is no underlying foundation for the company’s products. Seoul, however, has been investing 10% of its revenue in research and development for many years to develop innovative technology and strengthen our patent portfolio. To support a fair market that respects intellectual property rights, Seoul will continuously monitor and take action against alleged infringers in any countries where infringement occurs.”

* Reference [source: various media news articles]

<Table: Recent LED industry Patent Litigations relating to Everlight products>

Plaintiff Defendant Business Relation Patented Technology Courts State Link
Nichia WOFI Leuchten Everlight subsidiary phosphor Düsseldorf District Court, Germany Nichia won the suit in the court of first instance and the court ruled for an injunction

http://www.ledinside.com/news/2016/12
/nichia_clinches_two_legal_victories_ag
ainst_everlight_in_german_district_court
s

http://www.nichia.co.jp/en/about_nichia/2
016/2016_122102.html
Nichia REGO-Lighting Used a white LED tube light product by Everlight subsidiary Zenar phosphor Düsseldorf District Court, Germany On Dec. 5, 2016, the appeals court confirmed patent infringement and ruled in favor of Nichia.

http://www.nichia.co.jp/en/about_nichia/2
016/2016_122101.html

http://www.ledinside.com/news/2016/12/
nichia_clinches_two_legal_victories_aga
inst_everlight_in_german_district_courts
Nichia Everlight Everlight phosphor Düsseldorf District Court, Germany On Oct. 24, 2016, the court granted a preliminary injunction.

http://www.nichia.co.jp/en/about_nichia/2
016/2016_111701.html

http://www.ledinside.com/news/2016/11/
german_court_grants_nichia_preliminary
_injunctions_for_white_led_products_that
_infringed_patents
Nichia Tachibana Eletech and E&E Japan Distributor of blue LEDs manufactured by Everlight in Japan LED chip Tokyo District Court, Japan On Oct. 14, 2016, the court issued an oder ruled for an infringement in favor of Nichia.

http://www.nichia.co.jp/en/about_nichia/2016
/2016_102001.html

http://www.ledinside.com/press/2016/10/nich
ia_wins_patent_infringement_lawsuit_agains
t_tachibana_and_ee_japan_in_tokyo
Nichia Mouser Distributor of Everlight products phosphor Düsseldorf District Court, Germany On Oct. 7, 2016, the court granted a preliminary injunction.

http://www.nichia.co.jp/en/about_nichia/2
016/2016_101301.html

http://www.ledinside.com/news/2016/10/g
erman_court_grants_preliminary_injunctio
n_against_mouser_based_on_nichia_yag
_patent
Nichia Everlight Everlight LED Package The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas The Federal Circuit affirmed an infringement of Nichia’s patents.

http://www.nichia.co.jp/en/about_nichia/20
17/2017_050901.html

http://www.ledinside.com/news/2017/5/nic
hia_wins_important_victory_in_federal_ci
rcuit_appeal
Nichia EBV Elektronik GmbH & Co. KG and EBV Management GmbH (both “EBV“) Distributor of Everlight products phosphor Düsseldorf District Court, Germany Still in progress

http://www.nichia.co.jp/en/about_nichia
/2017/2017_030802.html

http://www.ledinside.com/press/2017/3/nichia

_files_patent_infringement_lawsuit_against_

ebv_in_germany_regarding_white_led_

product_of_everlight
Nichia Everlight Electronics (China) and Beijing Ducheng Yiguang Electronic Devices Selling Center Everlight subsidiary phosphor Beijing Intellectual Property Court, China Still in progress

http://www.nichia.co.jp/en/about_nichia
/2016/2016_032401.html

http://www.ledinside.com/news/2016/3/
nichia_files_new_led_patent_infringem
ent_lawsuits_respectively_in_china_an
d_us
Seoul Semiconductor Mouser Distributor of Everlight products High Power LED Düsseldorf District Court, Germany Still in progress

http://www.ledinside.com/news/2017/4/se
oul_semiconductor_files_patent_infringe
ment_lawsuit_in_germany
Seoul Semiconductor Mouser Distributor of Everlight products Mid Power LED Düsseldorf District Court, Germany On April 28, 2017, Seoul filed the lawsuit.

About Seoul Semiconductor:

Seoul Semiconductor develops and commercializes light emitting diodes (LEDs) for automotive, general illumination, specialty lighting, and backlighting markets. As the fifth-largest LED manufacturer globally, Seoul Semiconductor holds more than 12,000 patents, offers a wide range of technologies, and mass produces innovative LED products such as Wicop – a simpler structured Package-Free LED which provides market leading color uniformity, cost savings at the fixture level with high lumen density and allows design flexibility; Acrich, the world’s leading direct AC LED; Acrich MJT multi-junction technology; a proprietary family of high-voltage LEDs; NanoDriver Series – World’s Smallest 24W DC LED Drivers and nPola, a new LED product based on GaN-substrate technology that achieves over ten times the output of conventional LEDs.

For more information about Seoul Semiconductor, please visit http://www.seoulsemicon.com

# Trademarks: Wicop and Acrich are trademarks of Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.

Contacts

Asia
Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd
Jake Jung, +82 070.4391.8270
Email: pr@seoulsemicon.com
or
Europe
Seoul Semiconductor Europe GmbH
Ariane Heim, +49 (0)89 450 3690-0
Email: press.eu@seoulsemicon.com
or
North America
Seoul Semiconductor Inc.
David Cox, +1 (919) 410-9856
Email: David.cox@seoulsemicon.com

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