Texas Jury Declares that Universal™ Ballasts Infringe U.S. Patent No. 5,436,529

June 24, 2011 - PRLog -- CHICAGO, IL  — On Friday, June 17, 2011, after a week-long trial at the U.S. District Court in Wichita Falls, TX, a jury declared that all of the asserted electronic ballast products sold by Universal™ Lighting Technologies (ULT) of Nashville, TN, a subsidiary of Panasonic Corp. and Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd., Japan (MEW), infringe all of the asserted claims of U.S. Patent No. 5,436,529.

The patented technology relates to a “Control and Protection Circuit for Electronic Ballasts” and provides highly advanced solutions to problems associated with the safety of electronic ballasts when used with certain types of fluorescent lamps. The patent application was filed in 1993 by inventor Andrew Bobel, Founder, CEO, and CTO of NEPTUN Light, Inc. (NEPTUN), a Chicago-area diversified manufacturer of energy conservation lighting products, such as LED, induction, and compact fluorescent (CFL’s).

“This case was about making the right choices related to respect of the patented invention and the respect of the individual inventor by a large global conglomerate,” said Jonathan T. Suder, Partner of Friedman, Suder & Cooke of Fort Worth, TX representing the Plaintiffs and Inventor. “ULT made bad choices and the jury found them infringing,” said Suder.

About NEPTUN:

NEPTUN Light, Inc. is the industry pioneer in the development of new, energy-saving lighting technologies and products.  With a full line of LED and CFL energy-saving lamps and LED and Induction lighting fixtures, NEPTUN maintains its position as an industry leader by manufacturing in the U.S. and complying with the “Buy American” program. More information may be found at http://www.neptunlight.com.

About Friedman, Suder & Cooke

The litigation law firm, Friedman, Suder  & Cooke of Forth Worth, TX, is highly experienced in complex matters including: Patent Litigation, Oil & Gas Litigation, Business/Corporate Litigation, Complex Commercial Litigation, General Federal and Texas State Civil Litigation, Appellate Litigation, Banking Litigation and General Litigation. More information may be found at http://www.fsclaw.com.

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NEPTUN is a well-diversified manufacturer of ENERGY CONSERVATION lighting products such as LED, Induction and Compact Fluorescent. Our products are designed for residential, commercial, outdoor and other infrastructure lighting applications. NEPTUN offers intelligent solutions for renewable energy generation such as Wind and Solar