Innovation Asset Blog

Boston University to receive licensing fees to settle patent infringement suit

A company that manages intellectual property for twenty-five companies, including Apple, Amazon and Sony, has settled a lawsuit filed by Boston University alleging infringement of a professor's patent for producing blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs), according to university news source BU Today. The dollar amounts in the settlement were not disclosed. The settlement itself was negotiated with RPX, a firm that manages intellectual property for corporate entities through acquiring companies' patent rights. RPX will pay BU the undisclosed sum, and all members of RPX will be able to use the technology. Firms in litigation with BU that are not members of RPX will continue to be the subject of lawsuits.

In the 1990s, Theodore Moustakas, a College of Engineering professor of electrical and computer engineering, patented gallium nitride thin films, which help produce blue LEDs of high quality. These are used in devices ranging from e-readers to televisions. According to the university, the iPhone and the iPad also both use this technology.

"This settlement, as well as the licensing of the patents previously by other blue LED manufacturers, is recognition of the importance of my work in the development of this novel technology," Moustakas told BU Today.

Peter Ackerman

Peter Ackerman

Founder & CEO, Innovation Asset Group, Inc.