Power Integrations Settles Patent Litigation With BCD Semiconductor


SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 11, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Power Integrations (Nasdaq:POWI), the leader in high-voltage integrated circuits for energy-efficient power conversion, today announced that it has agreed to terms of a settlement in its patent litigation with BCD Semiconductor. Under the terms of the settlement, BCD will accept an order from the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware forbidding the manufacture and sale by BCD in the United States of the products involved in the lawsuit. The order will also prohibit the sale by BCD of such products for use in end products destined for the U.S. market. BCD also agreed to provide notice of the order to recent customers, distributors and other third parties.

The lawsuit, originally filed by Power Integrations in October 2007, alleged that certain PWM controller chips manufactured by BCD infringed U.S. patent nos. 6,107,851 and 6,249,876. The case had been scheduled for trial in September 2009.

"The intellectual property embodied in our patent portfolio is the foundation of our company, and we will not permit others to take advantage of our innovations," said Balu Balakrishnan, president and CEO of Power Integrations. "This settlement achieves that goal."

About Power Integrations

Power Integrations is the leading supplier of high-voltage analog integrated circuits used in energy-efficient power conversion. The company's innovative technology enables compact, energy-efficient power supplies in a wide range of electronic products, in AC-DC, DC-DC and LED lighting applications. Since its introduction in 1998, Power Integrations' EcoSmart(r) energy-efficiency technology has saved an estimated $3.2 billion of standby energy waste and prevented millions of tons of CO2 emissions. The company's Green Room web site provides a wealth of information about "energy vampires" and the issue of standby energy waste, along with a comprehensive guide to energy-efficiency standards around the world. Reflecting the environmental benefits of EcoSmart technology, Power Integrations is included in clean-technology stock indices sponsored by the Cleantech Group (Amex:CTIUS) and Clean Edge (Nasdaq:CELS). For more information, please visit www.powerint.com.



            

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