The U.S. Federal Circuit has reversed a court’s ruling in a patent infringement dispute between Boston University and Epistar, Everlight and Lite-On.

Boston University had filed a lawsuit against Epistar in December 2012 in Massachusetts federal court, accusing Epistar, along with Everlight and Lite-On, of infringing U.S. Patent Number 5,686,738. The patent covers the methods of Not-Single Crystalline GaN Buffer Layer for blue light LEDs.

In 2015, the three companies faced a joint trial which ended with a jury returning a US$13.7 million verdict in favor of the university. Epistar was ordered to compensate US$ 9.3 million to Boston University.

At the second instance, the court found Boston University’s claim of patents violation ineligible and overturned the appeal on July 25th 2018, ruling that Epistar, Everlight and Lite-On had not infringed the patent.

(Image: Epistar)