KB News Desk
LG Energy Solution has filed patent infringement complaints in the US against Chinese battery maker EVE Energy, seeking to block imports of allegedly infringing cylindrical batteries and products containing them.
Tulip Innovation, which manages and licenses patents on behalf of the South Korean battery manufacturer, said Wednesday that it had filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission and a patent infringement lawsuit in a federal court in Texas against EVE Energy.
The legal action involves five patents, covering four related to cylindrical battery technology, including tabless cell technology, and one concerning battery separator technology.
Tulip said the ITC complaint targets EVE Energy for manufacturing batteries using the relevant cell technology, as well as power tool companies that buy cells from that unlicensed supplier and bring them into the US market.
If the commission finds that the patents were infringed, it could issue an exclusion order blocking the affected products from entering the US. It could also impose cease-and-desist orders restricting the sale and distribution of products already in the country.
Founded in China’s Guangdong province in 2001, EVE Energy is a major lithium-ion battery producer with a significant presence in the US market, where it sells cylindrical cells used in power tools and other small electronic devices. The company also manufactures electric vehicle batteries and is considered a global leader in the small lithium-ion battery segment.
“Tulip has worked closely with LG Energy Solution to initiate this action before the ITC seeking the exclusion of infringing battery products,” said Giustino de Sanctis, Chairman of the Tulip group. “The prompt filing of new enforcement proceedings demonstrates the commitment of the Tulip program to addressing the proliferation of unlicensed lithium-ion battery products across various industries and preserving fair and competitive market conditions.”
LG Energy Solution has stepped up efforts in recent years to defend its intellectual property.
LG has pursued similar litigation in Europe. Last year, it won patent infringement cases in Germany against Chinese lithium-ion battery maker Sunwoda involving an electrode assembly structure patent and a safety-reinforced separator coating.
German courts ruled in LG Energy Solution’s favor, ordering restrictions on the sale of batteries using the disputed technologies, as well as the recall and disposal of remaining products. The rulings also entitled LG Energy Solution to seek damages.
Following the rulings, LG Energy Solution and Sunwoda signed a patent licensing agreement last month, allowing the Chinese company to use the technology under license.
