University of California (UC) Santa Barbara and LEDVANCE announce they have entered into a licensing agreement in UC Santa Barbara's patent enforcement campaign related to filament LED technology. The agreement authorizes LEDVANCE to manufacture and distribute the patented technology to lighting professionals, retailers and consumers.

On July 30, 2019, UC Santa Barbara launched a patent enforcement campaign against five major retailers to promote the respect of its patent rights covering foundational filament LED technology.

(Image: Pixabay)

"UC Santa Barbara has always valued its partnerships with industry leaders like LEDVANCE and appreciates their recognition of the important role universities play in researching and developing cutting edge technology," said Joseph Incandela, Vice Chancellor for Research at UC Santa Barbara. "This agreement allows UC Santa Barbara to reinvest in research and continue to generate world-changing innovations."

The patent enforcement campaign comprises a U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) investigation into the retailers' unauthorized importation and sales of UC Santa Barbara's patented LED technology and lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles against the retailers, seeking reasonable royalties. Through the campaign, UC Santa Barbara hopes to encourage sellers of the patented filament LED technology to reach licensing agreements with the university, designating them as authorized retailers of the technology and, in turn, compensating UC Santa Barbara for its research and development of the technology.