Court issues permanent injunction against 13 brands for infringing WICOP patents

Recently, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey ruled that LED products sold by 13 automotive lighting brands through automotive parts channels infringed on 12 patents held by Seoul Semiconductor, and issued a permanent injunction.

WICOP is a revolutionary patented technology with a compact design that allows lenses to be installed without wire bonding or packaging, thereby providing higher thermal conductivity and a longer service life. In 2015, Seoul Semiconductor CEO Chung Hoon Lee invited global journalists to the InterContinental Hotel in Shanghai, China, to launch the new WICOP product.

WICOP can be directly installed during semiconductor packaging or PCB assembly. Its highly innovative feature is a simplified headlight lens structure: only 1/12 the size of vertical or thin-type LEDs.

Misappropriating WICOP technology under the name of CSP

WICOP technology has been applied in 102 automotive models, accounting for approximately 10% of the global automotive market, including headlights, daytime running lights, and turn signals. The technology is also widely used in display products such as TVs, smartphones, and tablets. Notably, about 20% of the 220 million TVs sold globally in 2020 adopted WICOP.

Lee Jung-hoon, founder of Seoul Semiconductor, stated: "Intellectual property brings hope to young entrepreneurs and small businesses. However, it is deeply disappointing that even globally renowned companies deliberately use products that infringe on others' patents." Lee Jung-hoon added: "Intellectual property is a powerful tool that enables people to break through class barriers, allowing small businesses and young entrepreneurs to compete with any company or competitor. Since the Industrial Revolution, infant mortality has dropped from 43% to 3%, 85% of the world's population has access to electricity, and literacy rates have significantly improved. Therefore, intellectual property makes life more transparent and safer."