Philips Lumileds scores in LED patent case vs. Epistar

U.S. customs officials will start blocking the import of Epistar Corp. LEDs that violated LED patents held by Philips Lumileds.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has denied Epistar's request to stay enforcement of the U.S. International Trade Commission's (ITC's) limited exclusion order prohibiting importation of the Taiwan-based company's OMA, MB, and GB products into the country. The ITC previously denied a similar request by Epistar.

The exclusion order also prohibits any other Epistar LEDs that infringe Philips Lumileds' U.S. Patent No. 5,008,718, as well the importation of packaged LEDs containing the infringing Epistar LEDs and boards consisting primarily of arrays of such packaged LEDs.