ITC announces LG-SK trade secret infringement lawsuit
Ford Volkswagen using SK batteries is also wrong
SK’s “No Substantial Verification” Rebellion
United States International Trade Commission (ITC) Is 5 days LGDepartment of Energy Solutions SKIn connection with Innovation’s battery trade secret infringement lawsuit, SK emphasized once again that SK has clearly infringed LG’s trade secrets.
ITC said that it would take 10 years for SK Innovation to develop its own products without taking the 22 trade secrets of LG, and thus decided the period of the US import ban to be 10 years.
last month 10Work ITC If the ruling is a summary version, this opinion is a kind of explanatory book with detailed information on the ruling. At that time, when SK said, “It is regrettable that it was not possible to make a practical judgment on the infringement of trade secrets,” it came up with concrete grounds.
ITCAccording to the commentary, SK destroyed the evidence company-wide at the order of high-ranking people prior to this lawsuit. ITC said, “We judged that SK’s destruction of evidence was at a serious level,” and said, “The destruction of evidence was carried out by the heads of the organization under the direction of a high level.
About the deletion of SK’s data pointed out from the time of the preliminary decision, the ITC said, “We confirm that data collection and destruction were rampant and tolerated by SK.” I judged that I tried,” he explained.
ITC acknowledged 11 categories and 22 trade secrets that LG Energy Solutions allegedly had been infringed. It is explained that LG has proven concretely and probably that it is taking unfair gains by using the trade secrets infringed by SK in all areas.
Accordingly, the 22 trade secrets claimed by LG were judged to be subject to legal relief orders, and the period for the US import ban was also set to 10 years in agreement with LG’s claims, ITC said.
SK insisted that the import ban period is one year, and the ITC’s Unfair Import Investigation Bureau (OUII) suggested at least five years, but the ITC argued that “SK has infringed on trade secrets and started 10 years in an advantageous position.” Admitted.
ITC pointed out that “SK would not have been able to develop the information within 10 years without the infringed LG’s trade secrets,” and pointed out that “SK did not have enough manpower or ability to develop the infringing technology within 10 years.”
ITC also pointed out that despite the fact that SK has infringed on its trade secrets, other automakers, such as Ford, who chose to continue establishing business relationships with SK, are also at fault.
ITC explained that it gave Ford a four-year grace period and a two-year period for Volkswagen, as “providing a time opportunity to switch to another battery supplier that did not infringe LG’s trade secrets.”
ITCJudging these contents comprehensively SKTariff laws on battery sales in the United States 337He said he violated Joe. Accordingly, it said that the order to ban imports and the order to stop the infringement of trade secrets was considered a reasonable remedy.
The ITC’s ruling put SK in a further corner. The SK side is betting on US President Joe Biden’s veto, but it is an analysis that is unlikely.
SK said, “It has been preparing since 1982. I am sorry for the ITC’s decision to develop its own battery technology and not even have the substance properly heard,” he said. “The decision was made on the basis of defects in the litigation procedure without substantial verification., “I am concerned that the decision will cause a number of problems.”
He added, “LG Energy Solutions, which filed a lawsuit for infringement of trade secrets, could not provide evidence for infringement, and no evidence for infringement of trade secrets, which is the essence of this issue, was carried out in any of the ITC opinions.”
Reporter Mansoo Choi [email protected]