It has been confirmed that LG Chem filed for a preliminary injunction to prohibit patent infringement related to cathode materials against Jaesenengwon, the Korea subsidiary of China's cathode materials corporations Ronbay. Earlier, LG Chem won in an invalidation trial over core cathode material patents that Jaesenengwon had requested.
Since 2024, LG Chem and Jaesenengwon have been locked in a legal dispute over core technology patents for cathode materials. If the court grants the injunction, Jaesenengwon's domestic operations, which produce 70,000 tons (t) of cathode materials annually, will effectively be halted.
According to the industry on the 3rd, LG Chem filed for a preliminary injunction to prohibit patent infringement against Jaesenengwon on the 16th of last month. Jaesenengwon is the Korea subsidiary established by China's Ronbay, the No. 1 corporations in the world by production volume of NCM (ternary) cathode materials.
This injunction request is a follow-up step after the Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board sided with LG Chem in the invalidation trials that Jaesenengwon had filed over two patents related to crystal structure orientation of cathode materials and one patent related to relative surface composition ratios of cathode materials.
LG Chem determined that products produced and sold by Jaesenengwon and Ronbay infringed multiple LG Chem patents, and in Aug. 2024 filed a lawsuit seeking to prohibit patent infringement against Jaesenengwon. The case is currently underway at the Seoul Central District Court.
Jaesenengwon pushed back, saying its technology is independent and LG Chem's patents are invalid, and countersought patent invalidation trials. The Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board recognized the validity of LG Chem's patents and dismissed the petitions.
If the court grants LG Chem's injunction this time, Jaesenengwon's infringing products will be immediately restricted from production, sales, and distribution. Jaesenengwon currently operates a plant in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, with an annual capacity of 70,000 t. If the plant stops, it is expected to significantly impact domestic and overseas cathode materials supply chains.
An LG Chem official said, "LG Chem holds a portfolio of about 2,000 cathode material patents worldwide," and added, "Based on the patent portfolio, we will help high-performance Korean batteries enter the global market and lead industry development by offering various intellectual property business models."