Won similar lawsuits in Germany, China and Korea

When intellectual property law becomes international, it can produce seemingly contradictory results.

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio dismissed a suit filed five years ago by St. Louis-based Solutia Inc. against Sinorgchem of China and Kumho Petrochemical of South Korea. The suit alleged that the companies copied Solutia’s patented eco-friendly process for preventing rubber from degrading, a process used mainly used for tires.

The case was put on hold while Solutia Inc. pursued the claim before the International Trade Commission, which also ruled in favor of Solutia’s Chinese and Korean competitors.

However, Solutia won similar lawsuits earlier this year in Germany, China and South Korea. It is now exploring options for appeal.

The ruling is particularly important to Solutia, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy two years ago, and currently gets most of its profit from the division that produces the contended rubber protection product.

SOURCE:  Barker, Jacob, "Ohio judge rules against Solutia in patent infringement suit, STLToday.com, July 17, 2010.  http://www.stltoday.com/business/article_44d4565d-2f5b-55fe-93a0-1fca39ec39b8.html