Intematix and Tridonic Consortium announce agreement on BOSE phosphor patents for LEDs

DORNBIRN, AUSTRIA & FREMONT, USA: Intematix, a leading US manufacturer of LED phosphors, and Tridonic, a leading manufacturer of lighting components and part of the Zumtobel Group of Austria, have announced a comprehensive licensing agreement governing silicate patents for LEDs.

The patents control the use of LED phosphor materials and the application of the phosphors in LEDs. The BOSE patents are held by a consortium of four companies: Tridonic, Toyoda Gosei, Leuchtstoffwerk Breitungen and Litec GbR.

The licensing agreement, which has been negotiated by Tridonic as the major stakeholder of the BOSE consortium, establishes cross-licensing between Intematix and the BOSE consortium covering each party’s patents in silicate phosphor materials. As such, Intematix becomes an official supplier of BOSE phosphors.

Regarding the use of phosphors in LEDs, the BOSE consortium has granted Intematix a license to manufacture and sell LED packages and LED modules. In return, Intematix has agreed to actively offer its customers simple licensing procedures for the utilization of the BOSE application patents.

“This licensing agreement between the BOSE consortium and Intematix is a tribute to the strong technology position of the companies concerned in the production of relevant materials for LEDs – the technology of the future,” said Tridonic CEO Walter Ziegler. “We are delighted that we have successfully reached this agreement with Intematix -- an agreement that will further help the solid-state lighting market to grow, as the licensing of our technology will open up new LED lighting solutions to customers.”

“This is an important step towards eliminating complex patent infringement concerns upfront so customers may purchase silicates with confidence,” said Intematix CEO Mark Swoboda. “Collaborating with the world’s leading companies in this field, such as Tridonic, solidifies Intematix’s position as a frontrunner in the materials space and underscores the breadth of our phosphor portfolio.”

The BOSE patents were originally filed in 2000 and relate to the manufacture and use of phosphors in LEDs. Silicate phosphors enable high-accuracy, high-brightness packaged white LEDs when applied to a blue LED chip. Primary applications include cell phones, laptops, GPS and other small displays, accounting for roughly 50 percent of today’s global LED market.