Intematix and BridgeLux Form IP Alliance
Source/Type: News - Staff reports

Author: Scott McMahan

May 8, 2006... How can a company be sure that all of the components in its products both purchased and licensed from other companies do not infringe on any other patents? Two companies in solid state lighting have proposed an answer to this all to common concern of IP validity and enforcement. Intematix of Freemont, California USA, and BridgeLux (formerly eLite Opto; Ref: Coverage) of Sunyvale, California, have arrived at what they hope is the answer in the form of an intellectual property alliance. The two companies jointly announced the formation of the Intellectual Property Secure Lighting Alliance (IPSLA). According to the companies, the IPSLA is a network of solid state lighting component suppliers who believe that respecting IP is essential to accelerating the adoption of solid state lighting (SSL).

A company using components produced by another company can either take the company’s word for it that the component do not infringe on any patents, or the company can hire an expert patent lawyer to ensure that each and every component within the its products does not infringe any patents on any level. Taking a company's word for it, can be a risky proposition from a legal standpoint. The solution, from Intematix and BridgeLux is to have an alliance in which each member certifies that qualified patent attorney’s have reviewed their products and processes and found them to be non-infringing on all levels. That way when one company in the alliance purchases components from another company in the alliance, it can be sure that the component’s technology is non-infringing without having to pay a lawyer to do the research and wait for the results.

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