Toyoda Gosei and OSRAM GmbH enter Agreement concerning LED-related patents
Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. (“Toyoda Gosei”) and OSRAM GmbH, Germany (“OSRAM”), entered an agreement to allow the companies (including subsidiaries) to use each other’s patents for specific technologies in Group III-V nitride compound semiconductor light emitting diodes (“LEDs”), which include white LEDs technology.
OSRAM holds a broad patent portfolio in the entire spectrum of optoelectonics. A large portion of those cover technologies for industrial production of LEDs and laser based on Indium Gallium Nitride... Toyoda Gosei likewise holds a number of valuable patents for blue LEDs. OSRAM and Toyoda Gosei agreed to construct an environment wherein they will respect and mutually utilize each other’s technologies in order to further advance the market for LED products.
This agreement will allow both OSRAM and Toyoda Gosei significantly more freedom in their development efforts by eliminating the need for concern about each other’s patents. By facilitating research at both companies, new developments in LED technology are anticipated, including an acceleration of research to improve the luminosity of LEDs
Toyoda Gosei and OSRAM each intend to maintain a friendly business relationship and pursue the development of superior high-luminosity LEDs and further expansion of the LED market through fair competition.
About Toyoda Gosei:
Founded in 1949, Toyoda Gosei is a customer-driven, global company that researches, develops and manufactures products of exceptional quality for a variety of fields within the automotive industry. Toyoda Gosei initiated its LED research and development in 1986 and in 1991 successfully developed the world’s first blue LEDs based on gallium nitride. The company’s optoelectronic business has continued to develop and grow and Toyoda Gosei is a leading innovator and patent holder in the solid-state lighting industry. Today the company manufactures thousands of millions of blue, green, purple and white LEDs with world-leading luminous intensity. To meet the growing need for environmentally friendly light sources, the company continues to develop LEDs to meet the performance and functional requirements for applications that include cellular phones, full color displays, traffic signals, automobiles and general lighting. Toyoda Gosei is headquartered in Aichi, Japan, with 45 facilities in 16 countries. Please visit www.toyoda-gosei.com for more information.
About OSRAM:
OSRAM is one of the two leading lighting manufacturers in the world. Sales in the year ending September 30, 2006 totalled 4.6 billion euros, 88 percent of which came from outside Germany. OSRAM is a high-tech company in the lighting sector. Around 40 percent of sales comes from innovative products. This global player employs around 40,000 people worldwide, supplies customers in some 150 countries and has 49 production facilities in 18 countries. www.osram.com .
About OSRAM Opto Semiconductors:
OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH, Regensburg, is a subsidiary of OSRAM. It offers its customers solutions based on semiconductor technology for the lighting, sensor and visualization sectors. The company has sites in Regensburg, San José (USA) and Penang (Malaysia) and more than 3600 employees. www.osram-os.com
