CAO Group files LED light-source patent infringement lawsuit

May 12, 2011
Osram Sylvania, GE Lighting, Sharp and Toshiba are among the companies targeted by a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Utah-based LED lighting company CAO Group.
CAO Group, Inc. has filed an LED patent-infringement lawsuit against numerous rival LED-lighting manufacturers in the United States District Court for the District of Utah.

The defendants in the LED patent lawsuit are GE Lighting, Inc., Osram Sylvania, Lighting Science Group Corp., Nexxus Lighting, Inc., Sharp Electronics Corporation, Toshiba International Corporation, Feit Electric Company, Inc., and Lights of America, Inc.

The lawsuit asserts that LED light sources sold by these companies infringe CAO Group's patents. The company’s very brief press release claims that the patents “protect innovations at the core of LED light source solutions.”

The patents listed are:

  • US Patent No. 6,465,961 “Semiconductor light source using a heat sink with a plurality of panels.”
    Filing date: Aug 24, 2001. Issue date: Oct 15, 2002.
  • US Patent No. 6,634,770 “Light source using semiconductor devices mounted on a heat sink.”
    Filing date: Aug 24, 2001. Issue date: Oct 21, 2003.
  • US Patent No. 6,746,885 “Method for making a semiconductor light source.”
    Filing date: Aug 24, 2001. Issue date: Jun 8, 2004.
By bringing the case, CAO Group, based in Salt Lake City, UT, says it “is protecting its investments in these innovations and its ongoing business and will pursue all available remedies in the lawsuit.”