An invention is the product of inspiration, endeavor and innovation on the part of one or more researchers. Breakthrough inventions may enrich human life and enliven economic activity. One such example in Japan is a semiconductor diode that transmits blue light when electricity is passed through it.

This device, which was considered impossible to create in the 20th century, is an invention worthy of a Nobel Prize. The inventor, Mr. Shuji Nakamura, professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, is a bright star in the firmament of science. He is having trouble, though, securing his rights concerning his invention, including patent rights. In a lawsuit he filed against his former employer, Nichia Corp., the Tokyo District Court on Thursday rejected his request that the company give the patent rights back to him. The interim ruling said there was a tacit agreement between him and the company that the patents belonged to the latter.

However, in a move that indicated the importance of protecting the rights of employee inventors, the court called for a further examination of whether the amounts the company paid him were adequate. On this score, Mr. Nakamura may yet win the trial, though he has lost his fight for the patents.