2020/03/10 –晶元光電（晶電）于對(duì)Lowe’s Home Centers, LLC（Lowe’s）提出的LED燈絲燈泡專利侵權(quán)訴訟案件中獲得重大勝利！美國(guó)加州中區(qū)地方法院在美國(guó)時(shí)間2020年02月11日作出判決（Summary Judgment），認(rèn)定Lowe’s 多款LED燈絲燈泡侵犯晶電美國(guó)專利第7,560,738號(hào)（’738專利）。本案是目前LED燈絲燈泡領(lǐng)域中少數(shù)經(jīng)美國(guó)法院認(rèn)定侵權(quán)的案件，進(jìn)一步肯定晶電燈絲專利的價(jià)值與重要性。
晶電于美國(guó)時(shí)間2017年04月28日在美國(guó)加州中區(qū)地方法院對(duì)Lowe’s提出專利侵權(quán)訴訟。晶電在訴狀中指出Lowe’s販賣之LED燈絲燈泡侵犯數(shù)件晶電專利，并申請(qǐng)法院核發(fā)禁制令以禁止Lowe’s繼續(xù)銷售侵權(quán)產(chǎn)品。除’738專利之外，晶電在訴狀中指出Lowe’s販賣的LED燈絲燈泡也同時(shí)侵犯晶電之美國(guó)專利第6,346,771號(hào)（’771專利），發(fā)明名稱「高功率LED燈」、專利第8,492,780號(hào)（’780專利），發(fā)明名稱「發(fā)光裝置及其制造方法」、專利第8,587,020號(hào)（’020專利），發(fā)明名稱「LED燈」、專利第8,791,467號(hào)（’467專利），發(fā)明名稱「發(fā)光二極管及其制造方法」。
法院除判定Lowe’s LED燈絲燈泡侵犯’738專利外，也駁回Lowe’s對(duì)’771專利和’780專利之無效請(qǐng)求。Lowe’s亦未針對(duì)’020專利提出任何無效請(qǐng)求。另一方面，法院雖然準(zhǔn)予Lowe’s對(duì)’467專利以及’738專利的部分請(qǐng)求，但并無礙法院認(rèn)定Lowe’s侵犯晶電專利的事實(shí)。
晶電每年投資龐大的經(jīng)費(fèi)于LED技術(shù)的研究開發(fā)，已獲證及申請(qǐng)中的專利合計(jì)超過4,000件。這些投資奠定了LED燈絲（燈）及/或LED燈的技術(shù)基礎(chǔ)并嘉惠世界上各種相關(guān)產(chǎn)品。晶電持續(xù)投資研發(fā)，才能為不斷成長(zhǎng)的全球LED用戶提供最先進(jìn)的產(chǎn)品及解決方案。
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.
