Lumileds, Nichia sign LED licensing deal

Lumileds Lighting and Nichia Corp. have entered a cross-licensing agreement in which the two companies will share intellectual property rights to their respective LED technologies.

The relationship will avert patent disputes and potential associated supply issues. It is also expected to accelerate the design of more powerful LEDs by enabling each company to incorporate the R&D efforts of the other in new product development, thereby paving the way for more rapid adoption of LEDs in the general lighting arena.

This cooperation also offers the opportunity to open a dialogue between Nichia and Lumileds on the establishment of industry standards that will help promote the adoption of high power LEDs in the general lighting market.

LEDs supplied by the two companies are now used in applications such as LCD backlighting for cellphones, full-color outdoor video displays, color image scanners, traffic lights, and automotive lighting.