Koninklijke Philips Electronics may dim PixelRange’s LED Technology

March 30, 2010 - PRLog -- Chances are you have seen or used a Koninklijke Philips Electronics LED light before. Don’t think so? Well anyone who has watched the Times Square New Years Eve event has. The Amesterdam corporation has used their LED’s to light the world famous Times Square Ball for the past three years.

Now Koninklijke Philips Electronics is using their power in the LED, or light-emitting diode, industry to go after PixelRange for patent infringement. In the complaint, filed March 22, 2010 the electronics corporation claims six counts of patent infringement against PixelRange and their affiliate James Thomas Engineering LTD.

The six patents named in the suit are assigned to Koninklijke Philips Electronics and are based on LED technology that the company claims to have developed. PixelRange is accused of using lighting devices such as their PixelMax, PixelPar, and PixelBrick that infringe Koninklijke Philips Electronics patents.

An independent patent report by Patent Calls on US Patent 6,975,079, “System and Method for Controlling Illumination Sources”, shows that the patent claim likely covers any system that controls an LED system in a nonlinear relationship and the PixelLine Macro W, sold by PixelRange is likely using the elements of the subject patent.

James Thomas Engineering is named as a defendant in the complaint because the actions of PixelRange are “done at the direction of, with the authorization of, and/or with the cooperation, participation, and assistance of, and at least in part for the benefit of James Thomas Engineering.”

James Thomas Engineering formed PixelRange as a brand of the company in 2002 and then launched it in North America in 2006 as a self-supporting company.

Headquartered in Amsterdam, Koninklijke Philips Electronics was established in 1891. According to their website they were the first to develop carbon-filament lamps. The corporation just celebrated their 10th anniversary of lighting the Times Square Ball.

Björn Teuwsen ,Director of Communications for Koninklijke Philips Electronics gave Patent Calls this statement, “Philips filed suit to assert six of its patents against PixelRange Inc. and James Thomas Engineering Ltd., based upon our belief that their products infringe these patents. This step was taken as a last resolve to solve the issue, after earlier attempts to come to an agreement did not work out. The six patents in the suit are part of the Philips LED licensing program and therefore are available for license to those companies who intend to sell or are actually selling products which use the patented technologies. Philips respects other companies or individuals’ intellectual property in the same way as they expect others to respect Philips’ intellectual property.”

Koninklijke Philips Electronics is asking for the court to find PixelRange and James Thomas Engineering’s infringement willful as well as asking the court for damages, increased damages, pre- and post-judgment interest and attorney’s fees and costs.

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