02Micro loses U.S. patent case on appeal

WASHINGTON, April 3 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court dealt a blow to tech company O2Micro International Ltd (0457.HK: Quote, Profile, Research) (OIIM.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday, reversing a lower court finding of infringement of its patents for voltage regulators in computer and television screens.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit overturned a ruling by a U.S. District Court in Texas, which had found that Beyond Innovation Technology Co, the FSP Group and SPI Electronic Co Ltd (3015.TW: Quote, Profile, Research), and Lien Chang Electronic Enterprise Co (2431.TW: Quote, Profile, Research), had infringed three 02Micro patents.

The lower court had also barred Beyond Innovation, SPI and Lien Chang from selling any devices covered by the patents, which control the amount of power to cold cathode fluorescent lamps used to backlight computer screens and televisions.

"We agree with the defendants-appellants that the district court erred in allowing the jury to find infringement," the court wrote in its opinion.

"We vacate the jury verdict, the final judgment of infringement and the permanent injunction, and we remand to the district court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion," the court said in its 24-page ruling.

The opinion can be found at the appeals court's Web site at: here%20.pdf (Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)