General Electric (GE), Current Lighting Solution and Consumer Lighting have accused Cree of using a technology on Cree’s LED product which infringes the patent of GE’s TriGain LED technology. The three companies filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Cree on April 11, 2019.

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lightED, an online magazine, posted the lawsuit document filed by GE. In the document, GE indicated that its TriGain LED technology, which is protected by U.S. Patent No 7,497,973 and No. 9,680,067, addresses solutions to improve LED color rendering with high efficiency by utilizing panted phosphor materials in LED packages.

Cree was accused of using PFS phosphor in its XLamp eTone LED packages that includes GE’s technology and therefore infringed GE’s patents. GE demanded a jury trial for further determination of compensation.

Triangle Business Journal covered the news and indicated that the lawsuit against Cree took place at “vulnerable” time as Cree is about to exit lighting business. The leading US LED company announced in March that it will sell its lighting business to Ideal Industries and focus more in advanced semiconductor.