Great Lakes Chemical Prevails in Patent Infringement
Lawsuit Brought by Atofina
Tuesday March 8, 8:38 am ET
 INDIANAPOLIS, March 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Great Lakes Chemical Corporation today announced that it has prevailed in the lawsuit for patent infringement brought against it by competitor Atofina. Atofina sued Great Lakes in July 2002, in the United States District Court in Delaware, seeking both monetary damages and an injunction to prevent Great Lakes from practicing its process for the manufacture of difluoromethane,
an environmentally-safe industrial refrigerant.
In a ruling issued February 23, 2005, United States District Court Chief Judge Sue Robinson found that Great Lakes' relevant processes and products do not infringe Atofina's U.S. Patent No. 5,900,514 and that most of the claims of the patent were invalid. The Court also ruled that the Atofina patent was unenforceable due to Atofina's inequitable conduct in withholding prior art from the US PTO during the prosecution of the patent.
"Great Lakes is very pleased with the Court's rulings," said Douglas Register, Vice President and General Manager of Great Lakes' Fluorine business. "Great Lakes is a key manufacturer of difluoromethane and this opinion is encouraging for Great Lakes and reaffirms the confidence placed in us by our customers."
Great Lakes Chemical Corporation is the world's leading producer of certain specialty chemicals for such applications as water treatment, household cleaners, flame retardants, polymer stabilizers, fire suppressants, and performance products. The stock of the company is traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
Source:
Great Lakes Chemical Corporation
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