Nichia settles white LED dispute with E&E Japan

Oct. 29, 2004
Nichia has resolved its white LED patent dispute with E&E Japan, the Japanese affiliate of Nichia's Taiwanese rivals Epistar and Everlight.
Nichia Corporation and E&E Japan Co., Ltd (formerly know as Epistar Japan and Everlight Japan) have settled the pending litigation between the companies, according to a statement on Nichia's website.

Nichia claimed that E&E Japan was infringing Nichia's Japanese patent number JP 2927279, which refers to the use of a blue chip and YAG phosphor to produce white emission (see Nichia heads back to Tokyo court)

Settlement was reached after E&E asserted that it had never sold white LEDs manufactured by Everlight Electronics Co., Ltd. that use YAG phosphor.

Also, E&E agreed that it will not sell any products covered by the 2927279 patent in Japan.

Nichia has ongoing patent disputes with both Epistar, a chip supplier, and Everlight, an LED packaging company, dating back to October 2003 (see LED licensing agreements and patent disputes).

Nichia says that it "continues to enforce its patents and other intellectual property in any part of the world, and against any infringing companies."