Domestic LED listed companies patent war imminent 7 patents or invalid

May, domestic LED packaging giant Guangzhou honglitronic, LED display manufacturers Alto electronics were successfully landed Shenzhen gem and small plates. Next, it has been successful in the continent of Ming technology and Ruifeng optoelectronics is also about IPO. This means that the number of Listed Companies in the domestic LED will be more than 10.

The more the number of domestic LED listed companies, it means that the international LED giants can start or be able to target the more, because its market size is large enough. Chinese LED lighting patent war triggered at any moment. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou Institute of nano, Suzhou nano crystal photoelectric chairman Liang Bingwen recently said.

International LED giants and many patent anglers have been collecting evidence, some of the domestic LED companies have received a patent infringement lawyer's letter, but has not yet disclosed.

Giant layout

"Although the domestic LED enterprises in recent years for many LED patents, even LED patents, but most are not original, most of them are based on the international LED giants original patent, doing some repair, the patent value is greatly reduced. Liang Bingwen pointed out that if the real fight with the international giant LED patent lawsuit, nearly 70% of domestic enterprises LED invention patents may be invalid. The reason why the international LED giants have not yet begun to use domestic enterprises to use patent weapons, the main reason is waiting for the growth of Chinese LED companies. "

In fact, in the past 15 years, the global LED patent lawsuit has never stopped.

In 2006, Nichia white LED patent infringement sued the British retailer Argos company; the same year, Seoul and South Korea are Nichia semiconductor patent infringement lawsuit against each other. Last year, Nichia launched patent lawsuit to Taiwan billion light, Eupa Japan, the United States Wilmar. Recently, PHILPS has sued the Seoul semiconductor patent infringement, CREE sued for patent infringement xuming.

Industry data show that from 1996 to 15 in years, the global LED patent litigation occurred up to 168. Among them, 62, Nichia PHILPS 28, CREE 20, TOYOTA 18, Seoul semiconductor synthesis 15, OSRAM 14, group 18, electric pan crystal patent Licensing companies 10.

However, the patent wars between the international LED giants are generally settled, signed a patent cross licensing. This year, OSRAM, CREE, TOYOTA and PHILPS, Nichia chemical synthesis respectively reached LED patent cross licensing agreement. So far, the world's five major LED giants have basically formed a new patent cross network.

International LED giant set up a new patent cross network, which means the formation of LED patent alliance. Worst of all, the LED patent alliance has been excluded from the domestic LED companies. Liang Bingwen pointed out that the current domestic LED patents are also a lot of international LED giants in China, therefore, for domestic enterprises, LED is a full of 'mine' industry".

Perhaps the numbers are more telling of the crisis. At present, the global application of LED patents up to 124 thousand, of which the United States accounted for 20 thousand, China accounted for 25 thousand, Japan accounted for 49 thousand.

What is more noteworthy is that China's 25 thousand LED patents, in the end how much belongs to the Chinese enterprises themselves, how many patents are original LED is still a question mark. Liang Bingwen said.

According to the domestic LED enterprise annual report or the prospectus data, REFOND, honglitronic, Lehman photoelectric, dry according to the total number of LED patents, and Elec-Tech photoelectric Sanan optoelectronics six enterprises in 707, only 77 invention patents. Owns 44 patents Elec-Tech, its invention patent is the main source of acquisition of Korea EPIVALLEY company.

Near critical point

The above data seem to indicate that China's LED industry patent crisis is approaching a critical point.

In 2008, a retired professor of Columbia University in the United States with a LED patent infringement to the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) filed on, honglitronic, Shenzhen, Dalian and Hangzhou Lei Chau Road America company China Silan azure launched the "337 enterprise survey". Eventually, several domestic LED companies to pay a settlement fee of several million dollars.

Although the incident was shocked the domestic LED industry, but after the event, the domestic LED companies seem to feel that the wolf did not come, there is no patent dispute.

This may not yet be aware of the importance of patents in the industry. A company has ordered ten sets of MOCVD equipment of domestic LED executives told this newspaper that the international giant LED Chinese and no patent in what role, especially in the LED epitaxial wafer of the infringement, it is difficult to pursue; secondly, as long as the LED product sales in Chinese and Europe, are generally not encountered patent disputes.

The executives say, in fact also represents the most will be entering the LED epitaxial wafer upstream enterprises, these enterprises seem to be busy ordering MOCVD equipment, everywhere poaching LED professionals in the LED patent does not seem to be any action.

Had a deficit in the patent lawsuit honglitronic said in its prospectus, the LED core patented technology, especially for the blue LED chip, the production of white LED fluorescent powder and other key patents, has been monopolized by Nichia, TOYOTA and CREE and other international synthetic LED manufacturers, through patent cross licensing in the world within the scope of strict patent net layout. In order to avoid the possibility of litigation risk, China's LED packaging enterprises export products can only be used with the international invention patent manufacturer or its authorized manufacturers of chips and phosphors.

Elec-Tech chairman Wang Donglei said