U.S. LED manufacturer Cree has filed a lawsuit against another LED competitor MaxBrite over design patent and trademark infringement last week, reported Triangle Business Journal.

Cree and its attorneys warned a MaxBrite executive in April about its patent issues.

A LED light turned on in the dark. Cree has been very active in suing LED bulb competitors throughout 2016. (Photo courtesy of Cree)

However, an investigator working with the Durham-based company was still able to buy a US $300 gas station lamp, which allegedly infringed the design patents from MaxBrite’s website a few weeks later.

Cree investigators were able to purchase another two additional lights from MaxBrite in the next few weeks, which were labeled with containing a” Cree LED light source,” which according to the suit was false advertising.

 “[MaxBrite]’s intentional sale of fake, pirated and counterfeit items bearing [Cree]’s marks is likely to cause confusion, mistake or to deceive, mislead, betray and defraud consumers to believe that the substandard imitations are genuine Cree products,” the suit reads, adding that “knockoff” products are similar enough to deceive consumers.

Founded in 2006, MaxBrite is a LED lamp and fluorescent bulb manufacturer, who also makes a lot of accessories. Its website lists Cree as a LED supplier for some of its products, including Parking Light Shoe Box LED.

Both Cree and MaxBrite have declined to comment on the ongoing suit.

MaxBrite had not immediately responded to a request for comment Friday.