LED makers Cree Inc., based in Durham, N.C., and Lite-On Technology Corp. of Taiwan have announced a licensing arrangement that they said will enhance their ability to develop and market white LED-based products for backlighting laptop computer displays. The arrangement includes a license for Cree's white LED patent (US patent 6,600,175) authorizing Lite-On, a Cree chip customer, to manufacture and sell light bars incorporating the LEDs for that purpose. Cree said this is the first time it has granted a license specifically for a system-level application involving laptop displays. "Cree's patent is particularly important to companies manufacturing white LED-based display products for the laptop and PC markets, because avoiding intellectual-property disputes is essential for PC market acceptance," said Scott Schwab, Cree vice president and general manager of optoelectronics. "This arrangement with Lite-On is an important first step to addressing the emerging LED market in laptop displays."