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Hyundai, Kia Lose U.S. Lawsuit on Hybrid Patents
Hyundai Motor Co. and its Kia Motors Corp. affiliate have been ordered by a jury in the U.S. to pay at least $29 million for infringing on patents related to hybrid powertrains.
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Hyundai Motor Co. and its Kia Motors Corp. affiliate have been ordered by a jury in the U.S. to pay at least $29 million for infringing on patents related to hybrid powertrains.
The lawsuit was filed in a federal district court in Baltimore, Md., by Baltimore-based Paice LLC over its patents covering systems that coordinate the operation of a hybrid's electric motor and piston engine. The complex complaint addressed the hybrid powertrain offered in the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima sedans.
Hyundai/Kia vows to appeal, saying Paice's claim was not supported by the evidence presented. The jury disagreed, ruling that the companies deliberately infringed on the Paice patents. Because of their decision, the trial judge could increase the damage award by as much as three times the amount set by the jury.
Bloomberg News notes that Paice previously has successfully sued Toyota Motor Corp. over the same issues. The company also is pursuing a patent infringement lawsuit against Ford Motor Co.
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