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Chicago, IL –
iLight Technologies, Inc. (www.ilight-tech.com),
a leader in innovative LED lighting solutions, is pleased to announce that
on April 30, 2009, a jury in Federal Court unanimously found that Fallon
Luminous Products Corporation willfully infringed multiple claims in three
iLight patents. The jury also unanimously confirmed that those claims
of iLight’s patents were not invalid, as Fallon had contended.
The jury concluded that iLight was entitled to a multi-million dollar award of
compensatory damages. As a result of the jury’s finding of willful
infringement by Fallon, the judge increased the amount of damages awarded by the
jury by $1 million. The Court issued an injunction order prohibiting
Fallon and all acting in concert with Fallon from using, manufacturing,
importing, or selling any of Fallon’s infringing LED products.
In this case, iLight Technologies sued Fallon for infringing three iLight
patents directed to certain ways of simulating cold cathode or neon lighting
using, among other things, light emitting diodes (LEDs). iLight’s patented
technology enables an illumination product to have both the extensive benefits
of LEDs (low energy usage, long life, durability, etc.), and the very visually
striking appearance of cold cathode or neon lighting. This patented
lighting technology has become particularly important as the world moves away
from older lighting systems to state-of-the-art solid state lighting systems in
order to obtain the advantages that this newer, environmentally-friendly,
energy-efficient lighting technology offers.
“Since its inception, iLight has invested significant resources in developing
and delivering unique and leading-edge LED lighting technologies for our
customers,” stated Mark Cleaver, Founder and Chairman. “While Fallon
argued that it used a different lighting approach in its LED signage products
from that disclosed and claimed in iLight’s patents, the jury unanimously agreed
that Fallon’s lighting approach infringed iLight’s patents. The jury’s
decision affirmed our belief in the considerable breadth of iLight’s patented
illumination technology.”
“iLight is extremely pleased with the outcome of this case. The positive
ruling from the jury on the issues of validity and infringement, combined with
the monetary damages awarded and the Court-imposed injunction prohibiting
further sales by Fallon of its infringing LED products, highlights the overall
strength and value of iLight’s intellectual property,” said Sean Callahan,
President and CEO of iLight. “It is difficult for us to imagine an LED
technology of high quality that offers very desirable, bright, and even
illumination similar to cold cathode or neon without using iLight’s proprietary
technology.”