Seoul Semiconductor wins no-wire LED patent case in Europe

South Korea’s Seoul Semiconductor Co. said on Wednesday it won a patent dispute against Taiwan's Everlight Electronics Co. after the European Patent Office's Board of Appeal dismissed a challenge to its LED technology.

The ruling upholds Seoul Semiconductor's patents for its Wafer Integrated Chip on PCB (WICOP) no-wire LED technology in 18 European countries, from a suit filed by Everlight, the world’s sixth-largest LED manufacturer.

Seoul Semiconductor said this marks its 17th consecutive legal victory against Everlight, which had been selling products allegedly based on WICOP technology.

The patent dispute has spanned seven years, with Seoul winning all 16 previous lawsuits in five countries, including a 2018 ruling by a UK court.

The cases have covered both the WICOP technology, used in lighting, automotive, and display applications, as well as broader patent claims related to LED technology.

WICOP, registered in 18 European countries, involves directly mounting the LED chip onto a substrate without wires or packages, a design that allows for smaller, brighter LEDs.

The technology is key for microLED displays and automotive headlamps, the company said.

Seoul Semiconductor has invested about 10% of its annual revenue, roughly $100 million, into research and development (R&D) over the past 20 years.

The company holds over 18,000 LED patents and has developed several innovations, including SunLike, which mimics natural sunlight, and the no-wire WICOP technology.

Write to Ji-Hye Min at spop@hankyung.com