Dow Corning filed a complaint through its Chinese subsidiary and licensee with the Shanghai First Intermediate Court. The complaint alleges that Beijing KMT Technology Co., Ltd infringed Dow Corning’s Chinese patent by manufacturing and selling products using proprietary Dow Corning silicone technology under the Beijing KMT label.

The patent is part of Dow Corning’s diverse and multilayered intellectual property (IP) portfolio protecting its high refractive index (RI) phenyl-based optical silicone encapsulants, which offer numerous high-value benefits to LED devices. These benefits include improved light output, excellent mechanical protection of LED components and enduring gas barrier properties for enhanced reliability.

“Dow Corning will always rigorously defend its intellectual property to ensure that our customers continue to receive the highest quality products and reliability we can provide to help them stay competitive in today’s fast-growing LED market,” said Kaz Maruyama, global industry director, Lighting Solutions, Dow Corning.

For nearly 15 years, Dow Corning has invested aggressively to develop optical silicone technologies and products designed to advance applications along the entire LED value chain – in China and across the globe. Among these materials are Dow Corning’s phenyl-based high RI silicone encapsulants, which the company began innovating over a decade ago in Japan where the technology was first patented. Additional patents for these advanced optical materials quickly followed in Korea, the United States, European Union, Taiwan, Malaysia and other countries. Chinese Patent asserted in the complaint against Beijing KMT, was granted on April 2, 2008.

“Asia currently leads the market transition to LEDs for general lighting, driven especially by swift penetration in China,” said Maruyama. “Supply chain integrity and consistent material quality are both key factors in ensuring that LEDs offer a credible, cost-effective alternative to conventional lighting. It takes only a few failed applications to raise doubts about the technology’s viability for future investment and adoption. Consequently, industry-wide defense and support of proven, patented and cutting-edge LED solutions such as Dow Corning’s OE Series helps validate the competitive value of LED lighting, and advances the interests of all.”