Litepanels Patent at DVinfo.net

Terry Wall · January 18th, 2013, 04:09 PM

Hi, Gang! Today I saw on the "News" tab of DVInfo that the International Trade Commission ruled in favor of Litepanels' patent on "... importation into the US of LED lighting products for film, video or photography...." The article also cites that companies that properly license this technology (from Litepanels) will be allowed to continue to market & sell their respective products. Hopefully this clause will permit--and not limit or prohibit--fair and reasonable competition, which will only benefit us all. **Full disclosure** I own a couple of the Litepanels MicroPro units, so I'm a fan...but...I'm also not opposed to seeing what healthy competition can do to influence the cost of LED lighting.

What say you, mates on the forum?

~TW

Chris Hurd · January 18th, 2013, 04:18 PM

The link Terry refers to is this:

Litepanels Patent Defense Upheld by International Trade Commission at DV Info Net

The relevant takeaway is this:

Quote:

Contrary to the substantial amount of misinformation surrounding this case, the General Exclusion Order will not affect... LED lighting used for film, video or photography such as RGB and Remote Phosphor technologies. It simply prohibits the importation into the United States of LED lighting products for film, video or photography that infringe certain claims of the Litepanels patents without the patent holder’s consent.

Of the fourteen (14) companies named in the complaint, all of the major manufacturers have taken the professional route and chosen to license its intellectual property to continue manufacturing LED lighting products for sale in the United States.

Arthur Gannis · January 18th, 2013, 06:41 PM

Can someone please explain that importation into the US part. If the units are made in US with US components and US assemblers, and sold in US, would that still be infringing on their turf ? IF so, then why mention the importation bit ?

Les Wilson · January 19th, 2013, 11:06 AM

If your product infringes on the LitePanels patent, then it infringes and is subject to whatever legal action LitePanels chooses under US law. This thread is about the LitePanels action on the foreign companies that were infringing.

Arthur Gannis · January 19th, 2013, 01:27 PM

Great to hear that. The word I wanted to see is “foreign“
Now I can setup shop here in the good ol' USA, manufacturing and selling my LED lights for use in the Video, Photography, Broadcast industry using US parts with US Labor with a label on them marked “Made in USA“.
Importing nothing and selling ( EXporting) them to anyone who wants them anywhere on earth.

Tom Morrow · January 24th, 2013, 03:31 AM

Patents should be for things that aren't obvious. LED panels are obvious. Just because litepanels was the first to get it right doesn't mean they should lock up the market. I own some litepanels knockoffs, which I'm selling because the implementation is inferior to litepanels. This is how the market should work... if you want to stay in front you keep building better products.

Simon Wood · January 24th, 2013, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arthur Gannis

Great to hear that. The word I wanted to see is “foreign“
Now I can setup shop here in the good ol' USA, manufacturing and selling my LED lights for use in the Video, Photography, Broadcast industry using US parts with US Labor with a label on them marked “Made in USA“.
Importing nothing and selling ( EXporting) them to anyone who wants them anywhere on earth.

I think you missed the point a bit. If you manufacture anything that infringes on Litepanels patents then you will have to license those patents. Good business practice, at least if you want to avoid a lawsuit (bearing in mind that your statements here have made it clear that you are aware of these patents; the lawyers would have a field day.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Morrow

Patents should be for things that aren't obvious. LED panels are obvious. Just because litepanels was the first to get it right doesn't mean they should lock up the market. I own some litepanels knockoffs, which I'm selling because the implementation is inferior to litepanels. This is how the market should work... if you want to stay in front you keep building better products.

Defining whats obvious and whats not obvious would be fairly difficult in a court; its way too fluid a term, there has to be a clear distinction. Everything is obvious after its been designed, and thats the reason we have patents.

Les Wilson · January 24th, 2013, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Morrow

....Just because litepanels was the first to get it right doesn't mean they should lock up the market. ...

This is a myth. Litepanels doesn't have a patent on LED based lights. Read up on it. Here's a start: Litepanels Intellectual Property Statement

Eric Olson · January 24th, 2013, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arthur Gannis

Great to hear that. The word I wanted to see is “foreign“
Now I can setup shop here in the good ol' USA, manufacturing and selling my LED lights for use in the Video, Photography, Broadcast industry using US parts with US Labor with a label on them marked “Made in USA“.
Importing nothing and selling ( EXporting) them to anyone who wants them anywhere on earth.

LOL, you've got it backwards. You can set up a factory anyplace but in the States and export your light panels to anyplace but the States.

Arthur Gannis · January 25th, 2013, 12:19 AM

The Verdict Is In… |

I am just going on from what has been written,

“It simply prohibits the importation into the United States of LED lighting products for film, video or photography that infringe certain claims of the Litepanels patents without the patent holder’s consent.“

If the product is made entirely within the US ( parts, labor, packaging, etc.), then there is NO IMPORTATION whatsoever into the US.
No importation, no problem.

So what you are saying is if I open a manufacturing shop in Canada, then I can export them to any place on earth except US of A.?
Sweet. Thank you for the idea. !

January 18th, 2013, 04:09 PM	#1
Terry Wall Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 164	Litepanels Patent Hi, Gang! Today I saw on the "News" tab of DVInfo that the International Trade Commission ruled in favor of Litepanels' patent on "... importation into the US of LED lighting products for film, video or photography...." The article also cites that companies that properly license this technology (from Litepanels) will be allowed to continue to market & sell their respective products. Hopefully this clause will permit--and not limit or prohibit--fair and reasonable competition, which will only benefit us all. Full disclosure I own a couple of the Litepanels MicroPro units, so I'm a fan...but...I'm also not opposed to seeing what healthy competition can do to influence the cost of LED lighting. What say you, mates on the forum? ~TW __________________ Rule #1: Don't sweat the small stuff. Rule #2: It's ALL small stuff!

January 18th, 2013, 06:41 PM	#3
Arthur Gannis Major Player Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New Jersey USA Posts: 504	Re: Litepanels Patent Can someone please explain that importation into the US part. If the units are made in US with US components and US assemblers, and sold in US, would that still be infringing on their turf ? IF so, then why mention the importation bit ?

January 19th, 2013, 11:06 AM	#4
Les Wilson Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3,014	Re: Litepanels Patent If your product infringes on the LitePanels patent, then it infringes and is subject to whatever legal action LitePanels chooses under US law. This thread is about the LitePanels action on the foreign companies that were infringing.

January 19th, 2013, 01:27 PM	#5
Arthur Gannis Major Player Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New Jersey USA Posts: 504	Re: Litepanels Patent Great to hear that. The word I wanted to see is “foreign“ Now I can setup shop here in the good ol' USA, manufacturing and selling my LED lights for use in the Video, Photography, Broadcast industry using US parts with US Labor with a label on them marked “Made in USA“. Importing nothing and selling ( EXporting) them to anyone who wants them anywhere on earth.

January 24th, 2013, 03:31 AM	#6
Tom Morrow Major Player Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 416	Re: Litepanels Patent Patents should be for things that aren't obvious. LED panels are obvious. Just because litepanels was the first to get it right doesn't mean they should lock up the market. I own some litepanels knockoffs, which I'm selling because the implementation is inferior to litepanels. This is how the market should work... if you want to stay in front you keep building better products.

January 25th, 2013, 12:19 AM	#10
Arthur Gannis Major Player Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New Jersey USA Posts: 504	Re: Litepanels Patent The Verdict Is In… \| I am just going on from what has been written, “It simply prohibits the importation into the United States of LED lighting products for film, video or photography that infringe certain claims of the Litepanels patents without the patent holder’s consent.“ If the product is made entirely within the US ( parts, labor, packaging, etc.), then there is NO IMPORTATION whatsoever into the US. No importation, no problem. So what you are saying is if I open a manufacturing shop in Canada, then I can export them to any place on earth except US of A.? Sweet. Thank you for the idea. !