2020/03/10 –晶元光电（晶电）于对Lowe’s Home Centers, LLC（Lowe’s）提出的LED灯丝灯泡专利侵权诉讼案件中获得重大胜利！美国加州中区地方法院在美国时间2020年02月11日作出判决（Summary Judgment），认定Lowe’s 多款LED灯丝灯泡侵犯晶电美国专利第7,560,738号（’738专利）。本案是目前LED灯丝灯泡领域中少数经美国法院认定侵权的案件，进一步肯定晶电灯丝专利的价值与重要性。

晶电于美国时间2017年04月28日在美国加州中区地方法院对Lowe’s提出专利侵权诉讼。晶电在诉状中指出Lowe’s贩卖之LED灯丝灯泡侵犯数件晶电专利，并申请法院核发禁制令以禁止Lowe’s继续销售侵权产品。除’738专利之外，晶电在诉状中指出Lowe’s贩卖的LED灯丝灯泡也同时侵犯晶电之美国专利第6,346,771号（’771专利），发明名称「高功率LED灯」、专利第8,492,780号（’780专利），发明名称「发光装置及其制造方法」、专利第8,587,020号（’020专利），发明名称「LED灯」、专利第8,791,467号（’467专利），发明名称「发光二极管及其制造方法」。

法院除判定Lowe’s LED灯丝灯泡侵犯’738专利外，也驳回Lowe’s对’771专利和’780专利之无效请求。Lowe’s亦未针对’020专利提出任何无效请求。另一方面，法院虽然准予Lowe’s对’467专利以及’738专利的部分请求，但并无碍法院认定Lowe’s侵犯晶电专利的事实。

晶电每年投资庞大的经费于LED技术的研究开发，已获证及申请中的专利合计超过4,000件。这些投资奠定了LED灯丝（灯）及/或LED灯的技术基础并嘉惠世界上各种相关产品。晶电持续投资研发，才能为不断成长的全球LED用户提供最先进的产品及解决方案。

Lowe’s Found to Infringe EPISTAR Patent on LED Filament Bulbs

2020/03/10 –After being fully considered by the court, EPISTAR received a remarkable ruling on LED filament bulbs in the patent litigation against Lowe’s. On February 11, 2020, the United States District Court for the Central District of California granted summary judgment of infringement against Lowe’s Home Center, LLC (“Lowe’s”). The summary judgment order found that the accused Lowe’s LED bulbs infringed claims 1-3 and 8 of United States Patent No. 7,560,738 (“’738 Patent”), which is entitled “Light-Emitting Diode Array Having An Adhesive Layer.” The Court further denied Lowe’s invalidity motion with respect to claims 1-3 and 8 of the ’738 Patent. The Court’s finding of infringement confirms the value and importance of EPISTAR patent portfolio. EPISTAR believes that the infringement decision is one of the first decided by a U.S. court in the important field of LED filament bulb technology.

EPISTAR Corporation, a leading innovator and manufacturer of LED solid-state lighting technologies, had filed its patent infringement lawsuit against Lowe’s on April 28, 2017. EPISTAR asserts that certain LED filament bulbs sold by Lowe’s infringe multiple EPISTAR patents and seeks injunctive relief to halt further sale of the infringing products. Specifically, the complaint asserts that, in addition to the ’738 Patent, the accused Lowe’s LED lightbulbs infringe EPISTAR’s U.S. Patent Numbers 6,346,771 (“’771 Patent”), titled “High Power LED Lamp,” 8,492,780 (“’780 Patent”), titled “Light-Emitting Device And Manufacturing Method Thereof,” 8,587,020 (“’020 Patent”), titled “LED Lamp,” and 8,791,467 (“’467 Patent”), titled “Light Emitting Diode And Method Of Making The Same.”

EPISTAR patents protect the companys research and development efforts, and cover fundamental technologies for LED lightbulbs. The company’s complaint against Lowe’s aims to protect EPISTAR’s efforts in research and development and to preserve its patent rights.

In addition to finding that the Lowe’s LED lightbulbs infringe claims of the ’738 Patent, the District Court denied Lowes’ motions to invalidate the ’771 and ’780 Patents. Lowes did not file any invalidity motion against the ’020 Patent. The Court, however, did grant Lowes’ invalidity motion with respect to the ’467 Patent and claims 13-17 and 24 of the ’738 Patent.

As a result of the summary judgment decisions, EPISTAR expects that the trial on its patent infringement and damages claims against Lowe’s will occur in the Central District of California in 2020.