Kent Displays and Kent State University Again Prevail in Global Patent Dispute

After a protracted international legal battle, one of the basic liquid crystal patents held by  Kent State University and licensed by Kent Displays has withstood a legal challenge by several parties across Europe and the Pacific Rim.

The European Patent Office where the patent challenge was heard, took place in Munich, Germany. The court found in favor of Kent Displays and Kent State University in late July. That action upholds the patent, as the intellectual property of the two entities in Kent. The patent is key to Kent Displays’ Reflex™ Technology, which enables displays that don’t require any power to maintain an image, have paper-like viewing angles and incomparable viewing quality in bright sunlight.

Dr. Albert Green, CEO of Kent Displays says, “It is gratifying to know that we were able to convey the integrity of the patent as written, in front of the European Tribunal.”

The patent, invented by Drs. John West and Deng-Ke Yang of Kent State University, previously had been challenged in U.S. courts. The challenge to the United State patent entangled Kent Displays and Kent State in legal proceedings in U.S. District Court in Texas from 1996 until the patent was upheld in 2001. This ruling now confirms the validity of the corresponding European patent.

Dr. John West, currently the vice president for research and dean of graduate studies at Kent State, says the recent win proves that Kent State’s Liquid Crystal Institute leads the world in its discipline. “With much credit to our partner Kent Displays, it is obvious that our collaborative work sets the standard in the liquid crystal field,” West says.

Kent Displays has an active roster of licensees around the world that are commercializing the Reflex Display technology in a variety of end uses.   Customers and licensees of Kent Displays’ Reflex displays can be assured that Kent Displays will continue to defend it intellectual property vigorously.   Kent State has exclusively licensed Reflex technology to Kent Displays for all display uses.