Cree files patent infringement counterclaims in US against Feit Electric
Semiconductor Today, May 12, 2016
LED chip, lamp and lighting fixture maker Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA has filed counterclaims in the US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina against Feit Electric Company Inc of Pico Rivera, CA, USA to stop infringement of Cree’s patented technologies. The suit alleges infringement of two patents related to LED bulbs:
- US Patent No. 8,998,444 ‘Solid State Lighting Devices Including Light Mixtures’, addressing color mixing in an LED lighting product; and
- US Patent No. 9,052,067 ‘LED Lamp with High Color Rendering Index’, addressing color mixing and a globe that improves omnidirectional light.
“Cree was the first to develop LED bulb technology that achieved both omnidirectionality of light and high-CRI (color rendering index) light,” says John Edmond, Cree’s co-founder & director of advanced optoelectronics. “Cree’s ground-breaking color mixing technology took years to develop and perfect. It is unfair for others to improperly use our patented technology,” he adds.
“Cree is committed to continuing innovation and protecting shareholder value. These court actions protect our inventions from misuse,” says Brad Kohn Cree’s VP legal & general counsel. “We have more than 4000 issued patents, and we will continue to vigorously defend Cree’s patented technology to protect our investments in R&D.”