LG-SK 'Battery War' First Domestic Ruling... LG Chem Wins (Update)

[Asia Economy Reporter Park So-yeon] LG Chem won the first trial verdict in the battery war against SK Innovation.

The Seoul Central District Court Civil Agreement Division 63-3 (Presiding Judge Lee Jin-hwa) on the 27th dismissed SK Innovation's requests for the execution of the lawsuit withdrawal procedure and indirect enforcement, as well as the claim for damages, in the first trial hearing of the 'patent infringement-related lawsuit withdrawal and damages lawsuit' filed by SK Innovation against LG Chem.

The court stated, "The claim for the execution of the lawsuit withdrawal procedure and indirect enforcement requested by SK Innovation has no legal interest in protecting rights, and it cannot be considered that the October agreement between SK Innovation and LG Chem includes LG Chem's obligation not to file lawsuits regarding U.S. patents," thus making this judgment.

In the previous trial, LG Chem argued that after analyzing vehicles equipped with SK Innovation's batteries sold in the U.S., those batteries infringed a total of five patents, including three U.S. patents for SRS®, a core secondary battery material of LG Chem, and two U.S. patents for cathode materials.

On the other hand, SK Innovation countered that LG Chem included the separator patent lawsuit, which had already been lost in Korea and agreed not to pursue additional lawsuits domestically or internationally, in the U.S. patent lawsuit. This trial was also to determine whether LG Chem violated the 2014 agreement with SK Innovation by filing the separator patent lawsuit.

LG Chem stated, "We respect this ruling," and added, "We will sincerely continue to engage in the ongoing patent infringement lawsuits in the U.S. against SK Innovation, involving three SRS® U.S. patents and two cathode material U.S. patents, totaling five patents."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.