Import Prohibition in Europe as Result of Search and Seizure by French Court
ANSAN, South Korea – Seoul Viosys (“SVC”) (KOSDAQ: 092190), a subsidiary of Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd., has won a patent litigation against a European home appliance distributor that infringed its Violeds technology.
In February 2022, Seoul Viosys filed patent litigation against FTHMM International B.V., a Netherlands trading company, in The Hague District Court of the Netherlands, seeking a preliminary injunction against the sales of infringing UV LED products. The asserted patent relates to Violeds technology that can effectively disinfect water, air space, and surfaces by using ultraviolet lights.
According to the cease and desist declaration approved by the court, FTHMM acknowledged infringing Seoul Viosys’s patent and will be required to cease all sales of infringing UV LED products and destroy any such products. FTHMM must also pay 500 Euro per product for any instances of non-compliance.
This litigation arose out of an earlier patent lawsuit filed by Seoul Viosys against Fnac Darty Group, a large European retailer, in France. In September 2021, the Judicial Court of Paris ordered the search and seizure of evidence of suspected infringement. Based on that seizure, Seoul Viosys learned that accused UV LED products are being imported and distributed from the Netherlands.
Since early 2000, Seoul Viosys has co-developed and mass-produced the world’s first UV LED that emits UV light with optical semiconductor technology, as well as cutting edge sterilization and purification technology utilized in home appliances with more than 5,000 patent portfolios.
“As the UV LED market grows, distribution of copycat products has increased significantly,” said Young-joo Lee, Seoul Viosys CEO. “Seoul Viosys’ patented technology is essential for manufacturing UV LEDs, and Seoul Viosys will continue to enforce and protect its hard-earned patented technology around the world.”
Seoul Viosys, SETi, and their strategic partners are actively enforcing patent rights against infringers around the world. They already obtained a series of permanent injunctions judgments for patent infringement in the U.S. and Europe against UV LED products from various LED manufacturers, such as RayVio, Everlight, Bolb, Epileds, LED Engin, and SL Vionics (previous name “Semicon Light”). They continue to pursue additional enforcements against some of those manufacturers.
About Seoul Viosys
Seoul Viosys is a full-line solution provider for UV LED, VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser), the next-generation light source for 3D sensor and laser, and a single-pixel RGB “Micro Clean Pixel” for displays. Established in 2002 as a subsidiary of Seoul Semiconductor, it captured No. 1 market share in the UV LED industry (LEDinside, 2019). Seoul Viosys has an extensive UV LED portfolio with all wavelengths ranging from 200nm to 1600nm, including ultraviolet rays (UV), visible rays, and infrared rays. The company holds more than 4,000 patents related to UV LED technology. Violeds, its flagship UV LED technology, provides a wide range of industries with optimal solutions for robust sterilization and disinfection (UV-C), skin regeneration (UV-B), water/air purification and effective cultivation for horticulture. In 2018, Seoul Viosys acquired RayCan, a leading optoelectronic specialist, to add advanced VCSEL technology, which supports smartphone facial recognition and autonomous driving, and has started mass production. In January 2020, it introduced a disruptive “Micro Clean Pixel” that has the potential to be a game-changer in the display market. To learn more, visit http://www.seoulviosys.com/en/.