The German District Court of Düsseldorf has delivered a landmark ruling against Signify, the world's largest lighting manufacturer, ordering the recall and destruction of products infringing on Seoul Semiconductor's patents. The court's decision, issued on November 19, mandates that Signify recall products manufactured and sold since March 2017, with potential fines of up to €250,000 for each violation. This legal action centers on Seoul Semiconductor's core technology related to the Color Rendering Index (CRI) 70 technology, which is critical for home lighting, automotive lighting, IT flash, and backlighting applications.

The patent infringement case has significant market implications, potentially affecting markets worth over $100 billion in finished goods and more than $10 billion in packaging across lighting, automotive, and IT sectors. Seoul Semiconductor, the world's third-largest global optoelectronic semiconductor company, has demonstrated its commitment to intellectual property protection by holding over 18,000 patents in the LED industry. The company's founder and CEO, Chung Hoon Lee, emphasized that protecting intellectual property is crucial for encouraging innovation and creating a fair market environment for young entrepreneurs and innovative companies.

The court's ruling extends beyond Signify, also impacting Conrad Electronic, the global distributor of these products. The judgment requires an immediate cessation of sales for certain products manufactured by Philips Lighting brand affiliates (now Signify Group), with a comprehensive recall of items distributed since March 29, 2017. This legal action is part of a broader trend of patent enforcement, with Seoul Semiconductor previously winning patent litigation across eight countries in the past two decades. The Unified Patent Court's recent judgment, which banned sales in eight European countries, further underscores the company's aggressive approach to protecting its technological innovations.

Seoul Semiconductor's victory highlights the company's significant investment in research and development, allocating nearly $100 million annually (approximately 10% of its revenue) to technological innovation. The company has developed groundbreaking technologies such as the "WICOP" no-wire LED, "SunLike" natural sunlight spectrum replication, and high-voltage "Acrich" LED. These innovations demonstrate the company's commitment to pushing technological boundaries in the lighting industry. The court's decision not only validates Seoul Semiconductor's patents but also sends a strong message about the importance of intellectual property rights in the rapidly evolving technology and lighting sectors.