Fresh from lining up a new $500 million line of credit on Friday, Cree (Nasdaq: CREE) on Monday filed patent and misleading advertising complaints against a competitor and its Taiwan supplier on Monday in seeking to protect its LED lighting business.

The Durham-based LED and chip technology company suited Felt Electric and its supplier, Unity Opto technology of Taiwan, saying that its patents had been infringed and that Felt is selling bulbs that don’t meet federal ENERGY STAR specifications.

The ENERGY STAR label is important to Cree since the federal specification earns Cree LED bulbs meet energy-saving standards and therefore qualify Cree bulbs for certain discounts from utilities.

“Consumers will buy them only if they look and operate the way they expect,” Greg Merritt, vice president of marketing and public affairs at Cree, told Bloomberg news. “It has to look like a lightbulb and operate like a lightbulb.”

Cree unveiled a new LED line of bulbs in October. 

The patent case was filed in a federal court in Wisconsin.

The false advertising claim will be fought at the U.S. International Trade Commission. 

LED bulbs and lighting are increasingly important to Cree, which employs close to 4,000 people. Bloomberg noted that Wall Street analysis firm Needham & Co. reported recently LED lighting is expected to increase some 34 percent this year after increasing 60 percent in 2014.

“Cree fully supports competition, but it should be fair competition,” said Chuck Swoboda, Cree’a chairman and CEO, in a statement. “We have invested nearly $1 billion in R&D over the past 10 years to create fundamental technology that has enabled the LED lighting revolution. With more than 4,000 issued patents, we have an obligation to act to protect our shareholders and our licensing partners.”

On Friday, Cree disclosed lining up the $500 million credit line with Wells Fargo Bank. 

Cree said some of the money will be used to repay a previous credit agreement with Wells Fargo.

The company added that “proceeds of any additional loans may be used for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes.”