2nd Update, 14 MAR 2023: 11:22 ET:
Official statement from Cooper Lighting Solutions and Signify:
- On 10 and 13 March 2023, Ferruiz IP LLC filed a patent infringement complaint against Cooper Lighting Solutions and Signify, respectively, in the United States District Court For The Western District Of Texas, Waco Division.
- We are currently assessing the claims and have no further comment on the details of the case.
- We do want to stress that we have been a clear innovation leader in LED lighting technology, shaping the lighting industry time after time, and that we respect other companies’ and individuals’ valid intellectual property in the same way as we expect others to respect our intellectual property.
Updated, 14 MAR 2023, 10:43 ET:
Cooper is no longer alone in its dispute with Ferruiz. Ferruiz has now filed lawsuits against Signify and Sylvania asserting the same ‘808 patent that Ferruiz is asserting against Cooper. In Signify’s case Ferruiz has identified an older generation Powercore outdoor spot product. In Sylvania’s case, Ferruiz has identified a legacy Pathe recessed ground product. The diversity of accused products suggests that Ferruiz takes a broad reading of the ‘808 patent.
Ferruiz brought these new cases against Signify and Sylvania in the same court as the earlier Cooper matter, the Western District of Texas. All three cases have been assigned to the same judge and, as a result, the cases will likely be consolidated and heard together up until any potential trial.
Ferruiz IP has sued Signify subsidiary Cooper Lighting for patent infringement, asserting a single patent US 10,066,808. The ‘808 patent is an optics patent generally directed a glass lens with a rubber seal engaged around the perimeter of the lens that is sized to provide spacing for the LED. The ’808 patent issued relatively recently (2018) and arises from a related Spanish patent. The ‘808 appears to be the only patent Ferruiz currently holds.
Ferruiz has accused Cooper’s Halo RL series of downlights of infringing, although additional products can (and likely will) be added to the lawsuit in the coming months, e.g. products that are substantially similar to the Halo RL, or with similar optics configurations. The coming weeks will provide more details as to the scope of Ferruiz’s case.
Ferruiz brought its suit against Cooper in the Western District of Texas, a court popular amongst patent plaintiffs. Ferruiz is represented by well-known plaintiff’s counsel William Ramey of Ramey LLP. Cooper is the first, and as of now only, company Ferruiz is pursuing.