High Tide Aquatics

Luxim (plasma lights) in a legal tango over IP

Lets see how this pans out.
http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=223764
Ceravision Steps up Legal Action Against Luxim to Recover IP

MILTON KEYNES, England, April 4 /PRNewswire/ --

- Litigation Against Luxim to go to Full Trial in London High Court and US District Court

- Ceravision Takes a 'Zero Tolerance' Approach to Protecting its IP

- Luxim Patent Remains Suspended in Europe

- Pending Actions Relate to Non-Essential Part of Ceravision's IP; no Impact on Revolutionary Continuum(R) 2.4 and Ecolumination(TM) Technology Ranges

It has been announced today that litigation against Luxim Corporation's core patents by Ceravision Limited will go to a full trial in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Both disputes relate to technologies developed during a joint venture partnership between Ceravision Limited and Digital Reflection Inc (DRI) in 1999. Ceravision partnered with DRI to bring its ceramics expertise to DRI's light source technologies. Ceravision's first patent filing in this field (now granted US patent number 6,666,739) dates back to December 1999, many months before the creation of Luxim.

As described in Ceravision's High Court pleadings, Luxim's founders signed a consultancy agreement in April 2000 to provide engineering support to DRI. As further detailed in its US and UK filings, after being paid in excess of US$230,000 by DRI during a four-month period, and having information disclosed to them under a Non Disclosure Agreement, the Luxim founders filed the disputed patent application covering aspects of the work previously conceived of by DRI.

Ceravision purchased DRI's assets in 2004 in order to acquire full legal title to the technology that it had jointly developed in conjunction with DRI and to complement its existing patented intellectual property.

Tim Reynolds, CEO of Ceravision said: "The origins of Luxim's core patent filings have always been disputed and we will continue to do so until the grave concerns that we hold have been fully tested. We expect that a full trial before both the High Court in London, and the US District Court will properly examine for the very first time the fundamental matters affecting the integrity of Luxim's core intellectual property. Pending the outcome of the Entitlement proceedings, Luxim's core international patent application will remain suspended in Europe. We would like to take this opportunity to correct any misapprehension that either of the patent proceedings has been fully determined or that Luxim has prevailed, or ultimately will prevail, in this dispute.

The enforcement of our intellectual property rights is of paramount importance to Ceravision and we look forward to addressing these issues before the relevant courts and are delighted that this matter is now in the public domain."

About Ceravision

Ceravision Ltd is the inventor of the Continuum(R) 2.4 and Ecolumination(TM) technology ranges and the holder of all the related intellectual property, patented worldwide. A research and licensing company with full sub contract manufacturing capabilities; Ceravision is based in Bletchley Park, UK.

Ceravision is backed by a number of large investors including Saad Investments and ASA Consultants.

Ceravision is bringing several major new lighting technologies to market which give long life, excellent stable spectrum, energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, low cost, high brightness and small size.

More information regarding the Company is available at http://www.ceravision.com

Distributed by PR Newswire on behalf of Ceravision Ltd
 
Well, we saw the legal fighting over LED lighting the last few years.
And fighting a while back over algae turf scrubbers.
Yet again....

Although this one seems a lot more real and valid.
More than just patents, real IP theft.

Best solution : Go DIY and ignore the whole mess.
BTW: Really, ignorance is bliss. Even DIY you can be violating a patent. Best not to be "willful"
 
Who's not getting along in this thread?

BTW the lawsuit is utterly outside the hobby.... it couldn't be any more removed then it is :)
 
Gomer said:
rygh said:
Best solution : Go DIY and ignore the whole mess.
DIY is not a solution here. The issues involves source material to the DIYer, and not just a DIY alternative 3rd party device.

Bunch of wimpy DIY'ers around here then. :tired:
Lots of web sites on building your own plasma lights. Just scale it up a teeny little bit.
You know, simple, right. H)

Ok, I really meant go with LED DIY lighting.
But you made me look again. Interesting, it does look like they sell (sold) emitters. Might have been fun....
 
The above information regarding the lawsuit between Luxim and Ceravision is incorrect. Luxim and Ceravision settle their dispute to the satisfaction of both parties on March 13th, 2009
 
greggaz said:
The above information regarding the lawsuit between Luxim and Ceravision is incorrect. Luxim and Ceravision settle their dispute to the satisfaction of both parties on March 13th, 2009

No the information is totally correct as it was from 2008 prior to them settling the dispute.

The information is "out of date"
 
pixelpixi said:
DIY! I'm building mine out of an old microwave, an aluminum funnel, and an advil liqui-gel.

I hear if you spray paint the funnel with a clear coat you get a 30% boost in PAR.
 
You don't clear coat it! You use dupont chameleon colors so that you can tune your color without having to lower the power!!!!
 
Just repeating what I read... I don;t have the balls to play with microwaves myself (used to repair them and got a damn hard jolt of a massive AND charged CAP)
 
pixelpixi said:
DIY! I'm building mine out of an old microwave, an aluminum funnel, and an advil liqui-gel.
Love it. :)
I can hardly wait for you to post pictures.

You know, I now wonder what happens when you put a metal halide bulb in a microwave.
 
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