OSRAM and PHILPS sign LED patent license agreement

PHILPS and OSRAM, the two largest lighting manufacturers in Europe, signed a patent licensing agreement on the use of LED technology in light sources.

OSRAM said the agreement will further promote the LED lighting market. PHILPS said the agreement is based on PHILPS's extensive use of intellectual property in the LED to accelerate the development of the market another step.

In this year (2008) in June, PHILPS has announced a patent licensing program for LED light source. According to the plan, PHILPS's customers in the purchase of all patents from PHILPS within the LED light source components are no longer enjoy the preferential tax payment of royalties. Now, OSRAM from PHILPS patent license, OSRAM customers will get the same discount. In other words, LED light source manufacturers to buy key components from OSRAM do not have to pay royalties to PHILPS. OSRAM said that these special powers are not only involved in the patent held by PHILPS, but also includes the PHILPS CK (Color Kinetics) and TIR (TIR) patent held last year.

PHILPS lighting CEO Rudy Provoost said, "solid state lighting and energy-efficient lighting is the trend, which affects our business. PHILPS and OSRAM are aware of the changes in the market, so we will sign this Agreement as a milestone, so that our customers can further develop the LED lighting market. "In fact, this agreement is not the first of the two lighting giant signed a license agreement, in January 2007 the two signed on LED and OLED cross licensing agreement, but did not disclose too many details.

Source: China Semiconductor Lighting Network