Top Inventor of 2008 Hailed for Improving on Edison's Light Bulb

    WASHINGTON, June 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Famed inventor Dean
 Kamen presented the 35th Annual National Inventor of the Year Award to Dr.
 Ihor Lys of Color Kinetics (now Philips Solid State Lighting Solutions) at
 the Old Patent Office building in Washington last week. Kamen said Dr. Lys
 "stood on the shoulders of giants" such as Thomas Edison and improved on
 the best known invention of all -- the light bulb -- by developing a
 breakthrough technology for increasing the efficiency and lowering the cost
 of light emitting diode (LED) lighting systems. Dr. Lys co-founded Color
 Kinetics in 1997. The company had an initial public offering in June 2004,
 and was acquired by Philips in 2007 for close to $1 billion.
 
     Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation, the sponsor of the
 National Inventor of the Year Award, issued a release on June 2 describing
 the Lys invention. Lys received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in
 electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. He was
 selected as America's most outstanding inventor for 2008 in the competition
 with other inventors who have patented or developed inventions in the past
 four years.
 
     Kamen, who presented the award on behalf of the foundation, is a
 tireless advocate for science and technology. He has developed healthcare
 and other important inventions including the revolutionary, 2-wheel Segway
 personal transporter, and holds more than 440 U.S. and foreign patents. He
 finds a "world of ideas" more exciting than a "world of stuff."
 
     According to Kamen, intellectual property rights are critical to the
 creation of technology that can advance our lives. He said Dr. Lys is a
 great example of a brilliant inventor who took existing light emitting
 diode technology and other devices and "put it all together" in a new
 energy-saving invention. He called Dr. Lys a leading "technology hero" who
 deserves great recognition from society for his contributions.
 
     The foundation will help celebrate Dr. Lys's invention throughout 2008.
 Members of the media can arrange for interviews with Dr. Lys by contacting
 Clara Stanfield at 202-521-6738.
 
     About IPO Education Foundation
 
     Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation, a non-profit
 subsidiary of Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), was
 established in 2005 to educate the public on the importance of intellectual
 property rights to the national and global economies.
 
     Donations to the foundation by individuals are tax deductible to the
 extent allowed by the law. To find out more about IPO Education Foundation
 programs or how to make a donation, visit http://www.ipoef.org or call
 202/466-2396.
 
 
 

SOURCE Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation