Apple sued for LED lighting in iPad 3, MacBook Pro
Another day, another lawsuit.
Patently Apple reports that LED Tech of Tyler, Texas has named Apple in a patent infringement suit, claiming that the third-generation iPad and MacBook Pro are infringing products. These products use pulse-width modulation signals to drive light-emitting diodes, and LED Tech says that during the discovery process, it found that Apple willfully infringed its patents.
The four patents in question all have Charles Lemaire listed as an original inventor and are surprisingly similar, all with identical wording in the "field of the invention" section stating that "This invention relates to the field of lighting, and more specifically to a method and apparatus of controlling and powering a solid-state light source such as a light-emitting diode or LED, for a portable battery-powered flashlight."
It's the "solid-state light source" that's being targeted here in the Apple suit, with Home Depot being singled out for selling LED flashlights that infringe on two of the same patents. Some of the patent wording is rather generic, but Patently Apple notes that one patent in particular presents a powerful claim.
We'll provide more news on this latest patent infringement lawsuit as it progresses.
