Port Washington, NY- September 24, 2021– WAC obtained agreement from competitors not to sell products WAC believes infringe upon its intellectual property. This patent enforcement effort in the International Trade Commission (ITC) focused on seven companies which sold infringing landscape fixtures. The Commission is expected to order Lumien Lighting, Jiangsu Sur Lighting (“JSL”), Dauer, FUSA, and cBright to stop selling and importing their infringing products. CAST Lighting has agreed to stop selling its accused product, and its Chinese supplier, WONKA, will also be ordered by the Commission to cease sale and importation of the infringing products in the U.S.
Consistent with its strategy of vigorously protecting and enforcing its intellectual property, WAC filed a complaint in the ITC in March 2021 for patent infringement against Lumien Lighting and its Chinese parent and supplier JSL, CAST and its Chinese supplier WONKA, Dauer and its parent FUSA, and cBright. These companies infringed two of WAC’s many patents in the lighting space – U.S. Patent Nos. 10,571,101 and 10,920,971. Below are some of the infringing products in the complaint:
The ITC is a federal administrative body which adjudicates patent infringement cases and has the power to enjoin sales within the United States and ban importation of infringing products into the United States.
Dauer, FUSA, and cBright did not raise any defenses. The Commission entered default orders against them and they will, therefore, be forbidden from selling or importing their infringing products.
A few months into the case, Lumien and JSL also abandoned their defenses, and the Commission ordered their infringing activity to stop.
WAC first pursued CAST via a patent infringement action in District Court but ultimately added CAST to its ITC case aimed at broadly stemming the flood of infringing products from hitting the U.S. market. This week, CAST agreed to a settlement, pursuant to which it will stop selling its infringing product. And CAST’s supplier WONKA will be ordered to cease importation and sale of all infringing products in the United States.
The ITC case has concluded now that WAC has fully achieved its objective of putting a stop to infringing activity of these companies.
WAC invests significant resources on the research and development of its advanced technologies. It takes protection of its intellectual property seriously and will vigorously defend its rights against infringers, as it did in this case. “We are satisfied with this result,” stated WAC’s Co-CEO, Shelley Wald, “We hope it sends a strong message to others who may consider devaluing our inventions by using WAC’s intellectual property without permission. We are committed to supporting our partners and customers by protecting the many innovative features that set our products apart, in the landscape space and beyond.”
About WAC:
For over thirty-five years WAC has operated at the forefront of emerging technologies. Now a second-generation owner-operated company, WAC continues to elevate the industry in design and manufacturing by challenging conventions and building sustainable products responsibly. To achieve this success and remain a leader in the industry, WAC continues to invest in research and development of its own intellectual property. WAC has been dedicated to charting its own path of innovation, introducing revolutionary designs and technologies to the industry. WAC’s portfolio of patents protects these proprietary designs and technologies. WAC’s patents play an important role in maintaining its brand integrity and reputation as an innovator and visionary in the LED luminaire and smart fan space.
Since the early 2000s, WAC has produced over 90% of the components that make up its products from within a dedicated factory. As a design-and-build manufacturer, WAC builds long-term relationships with lighting designers, architects, and distributors by solving the challenges they face with creativity and innovation.