AUSTIN, TX -- iRunway, a technology consulting firm specializing in patent litigation and licensing, has released a comprehensive new report revealing those companies that control the LED technology that will drive growth in the semiconductor industry and lead the transformation of a broad range of industries, from lighting and mobile display to healthcare.
According to the report, which analyzes the scope and strength of the patent portfolios held by top players in the LED domain, a handful of companies are poised to dominate the industry as manufacturers of mobile devices and displays turn to LED for functionality and energy savings. Global electronics suppliers such as Samsung and LG have built a large LED patent portfolio. Philips Lumileds and Cree have significantly strong set of patents in the LED domain.
"The importance of LED lighting will increase dramatically as our culture shifts to smart technology that is sustainable, networked, personalized, both in the home and in commercial lighting, street lighting, and digital communication," said Animesh Kumar, Chief Solutioning Officer, iRunway. "Advances in LED technology and its diverse consumer and industrial applications have scope to drive the next generation of growth in the semiconductor industry."
The strengths of the different LED patent portfolios are highly relevant as this swiftly evolving industry has seen aggressive patent prosecution, licensing and litigation practices in recent years. In fact, there are currently more than 22,000 granted U.S. patents relating to LED technologies, most of which were filed in the last 5 to 10 years. Litigation is so prevalent that, on average, all the major players are involved in nearly three active legal disputes, and in numerous additional licensing agreements.
Cree, Philips Lumileds, Samsung and LG have established a significant advantage over competitors from patenting during the early stages of growth in LED lighting. Philips Lumileds and Cree were early movers in the industry, and their R&D programs have delivered impressive results. Samsung and LG, meanwhile, have recently solidified their position through the incredible scale of their R&D operations and their interest in developing LED display technology.
Samsung has the highest number of patents, with 1369, followed by LG, 737, Philips Lumileds, 599, and GE, 328. However, Philips leads the pack in seminal LED patents, controlling 120, or 6.9 percent of all seminal patents, while Samsung and LG control 3.97 percent and 3.34 percent respectively.
"Philips Lumileds has filed an average of 25 patents each year since the early 2000s, and this has translated into ownership of the industry's most valuable patent portfolio, which contains twice the number of seminal patents as its nearest competitor," said Animesh Kumar.
There are over 3,400 patents related to LED displays with Samsung and LG being clear leaders in OLED technology related to mobile displays.
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http://www.i-runway.com/images/pdf/iRunway%20-%20LED%20Patent%20Landscape.pdf
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