Gold will always shine LED industry is about to become popular"

Technology, LED technology is the bottleneck of growth is high, low learning threshold characteristics; the initial investment is not large, capital threshold is not high, in order to maintain the competitiveness of technology spillover, reduce risk, patent is the best protection. The patent barrier is the main means for the leading manufacturers to avoid competition, so the patent has become an important issue that can not be avoided in the development process of LED industry.

The huge market potential, stimulating the global LED industry rushing into the face of market growth, white LED fast, range in all respects beyond these key patents have LED industry control, the use of patent protection umbrella so have key patents in the industry have racked heart, to maintain the market interest and join exclude new challenger.

Such as Nichia in 1993 successfully developed the blue LED, and the company in order to complete monopoly market in an attempt to bully the blue LED heart, using the stick to the patent strategy, flagrantly rejected it patents to any other manufacturers, set a barrier to enter the market because of patent. Nichia with its long-term research and development in the field of chemical industry and the advantages of patent protection strategy, early very smoothly to the monopoly of blue LED Market Road, as in the general situation dominated, ambition to the world. 1998 rival TOYOTA (Toyoda Gosei) synthesis of nitride (Nitride) high brightness LED products launched in the market, Nichia filed a lawsuit to the Tokyo district court, accused TOYOTA of infringing patent blue LED synthesis. In 1999, Nichia and then transfer aimed at American famous blue LED maker CREE, to the Tokyo district court accused Cree in Japan local dealer Sumitomo commercial infringement of its patent products. In December 12, 2000, Cree and Rohm, a Japanese semiconductor manufacturer, formed a blue light LED technology alliance and signed a five year exclusive license contract. Rohm is in the same year on 15 December the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania accused on the manufacture and sale of LED products and Gan, and against its 6084899th U.S. Patent No. 6115399th and finally, Nichia lost Cree. In 2006 launched the 9 Nichia patent lawsuits, 5 reconciliation ended, three pending, with failure.

Today, the five companies Nichia, OSRAM, Toyoda Gosei, Cree and Lumileds almost took control of the white LED industry, this patent intensive, can be said to be due to the heavy minefields, in this field, from other businesses worried. Nonetheless, many companies still struggle in this area occupies a place to live in, extensive and rapid application of white LED, and strong investment companies in this field, patent infringement, cross licensing and other legal affairs continue to occur.

Foreign manufacturers in the LED patent layout is divided into three categories: blue chip patent, white light phosphor packaging patents and high-power LED patents. Due to the white light phosphor patent in the proof is easier, the past, many of the manufacturers from this, the impact of the level of LED downstream packaging plant. In recent years, the application of high power LED in the form of LCD panel backlight has been gradually formed, the patent of high power packaging is likely to become the main target of patent litigation after the white light phosphor patent.

Source: Ping An Securities