Litepanels, a well-known manufacturer of LED lighting solutions, is apparently trying to block the import and sale in the United States of other LED film/video lighting products based on a complaint filed with the United States International Trade Commission. This would represent a threat to the prices and availability of LED lights, which I'm a fan of for their low energy draw and cool temperatures. I'm not well-versed in patent law, legal complaints, or anything legal for that matter, but at NextWaveDV Tony Reale has posted the following video:
Here's the complaint [PDF] filed by Litepanels. As Tony notes in the video, he's looking to get into the lighting game so he has a particular interest in this matter. Regardless, it seems like the idea of using LED lights for film and video is not such a specific idea that the concept should be patentable. LEDs are a kind of light bulb; it follows that they would be used in a variety of lighting applications (including film and video). Patent wars are getting out of control these days, with Google, Microsoft, and Apple duking it out in the courts and through the press. That said, companies should have the right to protect their intellectual property -- but it seems Litepanels is swinging pretty broadly here. See the link below for more links and commentary. As I said, I'm not a legal expert -- any thoughts on this matter?
