This article has been updated with a statement from LEDVANCE.
LOS ANGELES — Feit Electric Company, Inc. (“Feit Electric”) announced that on February 2, 2024, it commenced a patent infringement action against Ledvance, LLC (“Ledvance”) in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Despite being warned by Feit Electric, Ledvance imported and then sold white LED filament light bulbs marketed under the brand name Sylvania.
Feit Electric introduced light bulbs with white LED filaments in August 2022 and the fresh alternative to the traditional yellow filament quickly appealed to retailers and consumers. Anticipating that other light bulb suppliers might copy the Feit Electric white LED filament bulbs, Feit Electric announced to the industry that it owns a set of patents directed to covering the yellow material used on LED filaments.
“Not only did we widely announce to the industry that Feit Electric owns a set of patents directed to covering the yellow material used on LED filaments, but we also specifically and directly informed Ledvance as well as retailers and other manufacturers,” said Alan Feit, President of Feit Electric. “Despite those warnings, Ledvance went forward with infringing products.”
Feit Electric is seeking an injunction to bar the further importation and sale of infringing white LED filament light bulbs, for damages, and for enhanced damages and attorney fees for willful infringement.
“While we would prefer that our competitors respect our patents, we are committed to enforcing our patents against infringers if they do not. We also hope that retailers look to us for light bulbs with visible white filaments, rather than infringers,” said Feit.
Ledvance issued the following official response/statement to the above:
LEDVANCE respects the intellectual property of other companies and LEDVANCE will vigorously defend itself against improper claims of infringement.
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