After the white LED patent China era LED factory can change the game?

LED industry in the past by Nichia, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors (CREE), CREE, TOYOTA, Lumileds and other five companies synthesis cross licensing to form a huge network of any patent, want to sell to the overseas market LED vendors, more or less to pay protection money to smooth line. However, with the patent expires, Taiwan and South Korea Chinese manufacturers rise as patent power, and China, so manufacturers strive to oligopoly pattern has quietly changed.

Five patent network gradually decline

In case of LED patent litigation mostly these patents against South Korea and Taiwan, Dachang China, China manufacturers, which Nichia strongest, the highest frequency of patent war started. In 2009, Nichia and Seoul semiconductor patent war to end reconciliation, Seoul semiconductor has also become a member of the patent authorization network, past the five angle of patents and trend into six star patterns.

However, with five patent manufacturers industry more and more difficult to operate, other manufacturers began to adopt patent patent licensing fees charged or released from the way of survival. In addition, Nichia is known as the white patent keeper level (YAG patent 925) will expire on July 29, 2017, plus Chinese Taiwan Everlight Nichia holding patents filed for the patent invalid litigation, has successfully ruled the patent invalid in some countries such as the United States, has been greatly weakened the strength of Nichia patent. With the LED manufacturers built the walls begin to collapse over the patent, manufacturers rely on patent barriers in the global LED market summon wind and call for rain glory no longer fear.

Chinese mainland companies trying to get tickets to the overseas market

In addition to Dachang key patents expire, may affect the past strict patent network, dynamic Chinese, manufacturers, for white patent era has brought a lot of variables.

From the LEDinside LED market ranking observed, China, LED manufacturers massive expansion, has to squeeze into the top ten of the world. In addition, Chinese mainland companies in recent years through mergers and acquisitions made many overseas companies, such as Chinese electronic information group has Bridgelux, three equity acquisition of Luminus, and TOYOTA authorized and Jufei Ruifeng, showed China mainland companies trying to get tickets to enter overseas markets. With more and more international brands began to be released to the Chinese OEM orders, LED manufacturers, its products are exported to overseas market share increased gradually. Chinese mainland manufacturers strong rise, pose a great threat to international companies and other local manufacturers, expected future patent litigation will emerge in an endless stream.

The Taiwan manufacturers of Puri in June 2017 billion light (Bridgelux, Inc.) filed a lawsuit, reportedly infringing products including 2835 products are widely used in lighting. Bridgelux claims to have more than 750 items of LED chip and package technology patents in the world, reached a patent cross licensing with CREE, its parent company, Chinese electronic information group. This is the Chinese mainland companies by overseas acquisition of LED company, to a specific example to enter the overseas market, the subsequent development is worth a look. The billion light active Chuquan, also highlights the LED industrial layout changes, manufacturers have adjusted strategy, actively safeguard its own advantage.

Japan and South Korea and Taiwan manufacturers will turn to the downstream manufacturers litigation

In recent years, Chinese Taiwan and South Korean manufacturers in the patent litigation strategy, with the industry situation of sudden changes, China Taiwan and South Korean manufacturers due to competitive pressures increase, the cost is not the enemy, China manufacturers, so adopt the initiative called patent litigation, anti blocking through litigation.

Based on the observations of LEDinside, using LED lighting as an example, if the Ming Dynasty factory to export products to Europe, the United States and Japan focus on patent protection in the market, basically no doubt still need to use patent LED, retail and brand lighting will be accepted, so most factories had to choose five major manufacturers, the higher the price of the patent LED. But considering the cost, some products will also select the LED element of Seoul semiconductor, Samsung LED and LGIT and other South Korean companies. The China Taiwan Everlight because Nichia patent litigation has a favorable judgment, and collocation EPISTAR chip products by customers, global marketing can be sure.

In the past LED industry with competitors of the litigation, but recently began to have a large number of cases is directly to the application vendors. The industry is not willing to sue application vendors, because application vendors may be a competitor's customers, it may be their customers. When using the LED application vendors always hold a "A label LED with some B companies also use some C companies also use some" mentality, that is since customers will not have the problem of litigation. But in March 2016 the first to break the tradition Nichia, filed a lawsuit against the first North American TV brand Vizio, and also on Feit, Lowe 's, TCL and other manufacturers filed the same patent litigation, including Lowe' s for the North American second DIY pathway, second only to Home Depot. It is understood that the object of a certain degree are used to Nichia products, these cases are still in progress.

This precedent, EPISTAR, Everlight, Seoul semiconductor has also taken a similar strategy. The first crystal electric and Seoul are proposed for the LED filament product patent litigation, currently part of the lawsuit settlement has been reached, but the LED lighting industry of downstream has produced more. The April 2017 report of the American manufacturer Lowe crystal electronic pathway 's, and billion light