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Cree Announces the Signing of a Global LED Chip Patent Cross-License Agreement With EpistarCree (News - Alert), Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE) and Epistar Corporation have signed a worldwide patent cross-license agreement for light emitting diode (LED) chips to further advance the growth of the LED lighting and LED bulb markets. Cree and Epistar both hold broad and substantial LED chip patent portfolios that are important for making blue LEDs, the foundation of white LEDs found in most lighting products manufactured worldwide. Under the terms of the agreement, each party receives a license to the other's nitride LED chip patents and is granted certain rights to non-nitride LED chip patents. Over the term of the agreement, Cree will receive a licensing fee and royalty payments from Epistar. "Cree's pioneering technology and resulting broad patent portfolio has significantly advanced performance in LED and LED Lighting products. Cree is pleased to enter into this LED chip license agreement with Epistar, a leading chip innovator and manufacturer of LEDs used by packagers and lighting companies," said Chuck Swoboda, Cree Chairman and CEO. "This agreement underscores both companies' commitment to accelerating the adoption of LED lighting while respecting the value and importance of international intellectual property laws." "The patent license agreement we have achieved will help us to accelerate the R& activities for creating new innovation. In addition, it is a clear indication of the strength of our LED chip patent portfolio and our desire to further the growth of the LED lighting market," stated BJ Lee, Chairman of Epistar. "By entering into this cross-license agreement with Cree, Epistar is able to provide LED chips that ultimately benefit our customers across the world." Other terms of the license agreement were not disclosed. No technology transfer between the parties was included in the agreement. About Cree Cree is leading the LED lighting revolution and making energy-wasting traditional lighting technologies obsolete through the use of energy-efficient, mercury-free LED lighting. Cree is a market-leading innovator of lighting-class LEDs, LED lighting, and semiconductor products for power and radio frequency (RF) applications. Cree's product families include LED fixtures and bulbs, blue and green LED chips, high-brightness LEDs, lighting-class power LEDs, power-switching devices and RF devices. Cree® products are driving improvements in applications such as general illumination, backlighting, electronic signs and signals, power suppliers and solar inverters. Please refer to www.cree.com for additional product and company information. This press release contains forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated. Actual results may differ materially due to a number of factors, including customer acceptance of new LED products; the rapid development of new technology and competing products that may impair demand or render Cree's products obsolete; and other factors discussed in Cree's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 29, 2014, and subsequent filings.
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