Royal Philips will sell its OLED business separately from the planned Philips Lighting divestiture, while Cree announces ITC actions and Once Innovations retains IP-oriented legal firm.
Royal Philips has apparently decided to sell its OLED business unit separately from the planned separate divestiture of Philips Lighting and Philips Lumileds. Cree has released a statement saying that the US International Trade Commission (ITC) has agreed to investigate Cree`s complaint of unfair trade practices against Feit Electric Company and its Asia-based LED supplier Unity Opto Technology Co, Ltd. Once Innovations, meanwhile, has announced the filing of its 100th patent, and that it has retained the Vinson & Elkins LLP law firm to provide intellectual property (IP) related services.
Philips OLEDs
The Philips OLED story only came as a surprise in that the company will sell the OLED business as a standalone entity. The Aachen, Germany-based OLED unit has functioned in close partnership with Philips Lighting. Royal Philips announced last September that it would divest the Philips Lighting business.
The company had also previously said it would spin out the combined Philips Lumileds LED and automotive lighting businesses. That new company could also have provided a home to the OLED business given that both LEDs and OLEDs are enabling technologies sold to solid-state lighting (SSL) manufacturers.
Dietmar Thomas, head of brand and integrated communications for the OLED unit, sees the separate sale as a positive for the unit that is transitioning from more of a research and development effort into a commercial business. He said, "If we were included in the sale of Philips Lighting we would be just a small part of the big company which would do OLED no justice." He expects investors that are devoted to OLED lighting to buy the unit.
 |
 |
GEBright enables floodlighting of tall structures with LED fixture achieving 500m projection |
 |
|
Osram actions indicate firmer financials for the LED and SSL maker |
