Cree, a leader in LED lighting, has filed counterclaims in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina against Feit Electric Company, Inc. to stop infringement of Cree’s patented technologies. The suit alleges infringement of two patents related to LED bulbs.

The patents at issue are U.S. Patent No. 8,998,444 entitled “Solid State Lighting Devices Including Light Mixtures” addressing color mixing in an LED lighting product and U.S. Patent No. 9,052,067 entitled “LED Lamp with High Color Rendering Index” addressing color mixing and a globe that improves omnidirectional light.

“Cree was the first to develop LED bulb technology that achieved both omnidirectionality of light and high CRI light to provide better light experiences to our customers,” said John Edmond, Cree co-founder and director of advanced optoelectronics. “Cree’s ground-breaking color mixing technology took years to develop and perfect. It is unfair for others to improperly use our patented technology.”

“Cree is committed to continuing innovation and protecting shareholder value. These court actions protect our inventions from misuse,” said Brad Kohn Cree vice president legal and general counsel. “We have more than 4,000 issued patents, and we will continue to vigorously defend Cree’s patented technology to protect our investments in R&D.”