Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA and Taiwan's Epistar Corp (the world's largest manufacturer of LED epiwafers and chips) have signed a worldwide patent cross-license agreement for LED chips to further advance the growth of the LED lighting and LED bulb markets.
Cree and Epistar both hold broad and substantial LED chip patent portfolios that are important for making blue LEDs (the foundation of white LEDs). Under the terms of the agreement, each party receives a license to the other's nitride LED chip patents and is granted certain rights to non-nitride LED chip patents. Over the term of the agreement, Cree will receive a licensing fee and royalty payments from Epistar. No technology transfer between the parties was included in the agreement.
"This agreement underscores both companies' commitment to accelerating the adoption of LED lighting while respecting the value and importance of international intellectual property laws," says Cree's chairman & CEO Chuck Swoboda.
"The patent license agreement we have achieved will help us to accelerate the R&D activities for creating new innovation," comments Epistar's chairman BJ Lee. "In addition, it is a clear indication of the strength of our LED chip patent portfolio and our desire to further the growth of the LED lighting market," he adds. "By entering into this cross-license agreement with Cree, Epistar is able to provide LED chips that ultimately benefit our customers across the world."
