Industryweek 6452 Dupont595

US Appeals Court Overturns $920 Million Award to DuPont

April 4, 2014
In 2011 a jury found Kolon had stolen DuPont's trade secrets on the manufacture of Kevlar aramid fiber and ordered the company to pay damages and interest.

NEW YORK - A U.S. federal appeals court Thursday overturned a ruling that ordered South Korea's Kolon Industries to pay $920 million to rival chemical giant DuPont (IW 500/38) for alleged theft of trade secrets.

In September 2011, a jury found Kolon (IW 1000/814) had stolen DuPont's trade secrets on the manufacture of Kevlar aramid fiber and ordered Kolon Industries to pay damages and interest.

But the Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., found that the district court had "abused its discretion, to Kolon's prejudice" and granted Kolon a new trial, according to a court document seen by AFP.

Kevlar is used in a number of products, including tires, fiber optic cables and spacesuits.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2014

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!