Inventor of the eco-friendly Hipster bulbs gets ready to sue everyone
Edison-style LED bulbs have become a real hit, and often seen in places like trendy restaurants and bars. Like typical LED bulbs, these bulbs offer increased energy efficiency and last longer than traditional incandescent bulbs while maintaining a stylish, old-fashioned look.
However, there may still be questions about the continued availability of these LED Edison bulbs now as the U.C. Santa Barbara launches a "first of its kind direct patent enforcement campaign" against some of the largest LED Edison bulb manufacturers, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Ikea and Bed, Bath and Beyond.
The lawsuit on patent infringement, filed on behalf of UC Santa Barbara by law firm Nixon Peabody, claims that researchers at the university have spent years developing alternatives to incandescent bulbs, and that many of the "vintages" or "Edison" bulbs with Exposed LED filaments available today are based on unauthorized designs invented by the school.
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Despite being one of the most popular smart light platforms on the market, one of the drawbacks. . to license its technology, UC Santa Barbara is now taking "more aggressive action."
But even though large light bulb manufacturers have been found to have infringed UCSB's patents, vintage LED bulbs are unlikely to disappear completely from the market. Instead, UCSB will apply for "payment of reasonable royalty", while also establishing patent licenses for use in future products.
In short, U.C. Santa Barbara thinks it invented the cool vintage bulbs you see everywhere, and now it wants the money. So if you are thinking of customizing your home with a bunch of cute new, energy-saving vintage bulbs, you may want to place a large order before their prices rise.
