Taiwan’s Supreme Administrative Court Rules for Everlight in Nichia Patent Case

Taipei, Oct. 25, 2011 (CENS)--Taiwan’s Supreme Administrative Court recently ruled for Everlight Electronics Co., Ltd., dismissing an appeal by Nichia in a lawsuit related to LED patent.

The court maintained the determination made by Taiwan’s Intellectual Property Court, which ruled against Nichia’s No.089,036 LED patent suit, to which Nichia appealed with the supreme court.

Upon informed of the decision, Everlight chairman Y.F. Yeh said the company will continue fighting other patent disputes with Nichia. He once said his company will resolutely fight lawsuits filed by competitors in the LED industry without initiating patent lawsuits.

Pushing into the Japanese LED lighting market, Everlight is believed to encounter more patent lawsuits filed by Nichia.

Industry executives say that Everlight had discovered evidence to invalidate many Nichia patents since it started studying such patents in 2006. So far, 21 Nichia patents have been reportedly invalidated worldwide.

Taiwan’s courts announced invalidation of No. 089,036 patent in a July 2010 patent litigation and in a March 2011 criminal litigation.

Everlight executives say that the company has been working for many years to set up its IP database in preparation for potential lawsuit.

Industry executives say that the Everlight-Nichia litigation is only the start of endless patent lawsuits in the global LED industry, saying the bright outlook for the LED lighting market has lured non-LED heavyweights to jump on the bandwagon, likely adding fuel to the patent war fire.