LED maker Cree files patent infringement suits

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STURTEVANT, Wis. (AP) — Cree Inc., a maker of energy-efficient lighting, has filed patent infringement lawsuits against two competitors.

Cree said Tuesday it sued Harvatek Corp. and Kingbright Corp. in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.

According to a statement from North Carolina-based Cree, the patents protect Cree’s LED component portfolio, including Cree’s white light LEDs.

LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, are semiconductor devices that produce visible light when an electrical current is passed through them.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports neither Harvatek nor Kingbright could be reached immediately for comment.

Cree said it has filed the lawsuit in Wisconsin because that’s where a large portion of its LED business segment is located.

Cree has a significant presence in Wisconsin in part because of Cree’s 2001 acquisition of Sturtevant-based Ruud Lighting.

Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com