Late last week, Solutia Inc. announced that it had settled its long patent fight with Jiangsu Sinorgchem Technology Co. Ltd. and Korea Kumho Petrochemical Co. Ltd. over 4-ADPA, a chemical intermediate used to make rubber antidegradants. Solutia said it licensed Sinorgchem and KKPC to make 4-ADPA under Solutia patents, which expire in 2019. Financial aspects of the settlements weren’t disclosed. The dispute has been ongoing since 2004 in various courts, including countersuits and appeals.
Previous postings on the suits can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
The case centered on the process by which 4-amino-diphenylamine is manufactured, with Flexsys alleging that Sinorgchem was infringing on its patented manufacturing process.
“The settlement of these long-standing disputes is a milestone for Solutia and its Santoflex antidegradant business,” said Rich Altice, president and general manager of Solutia’s Technical Specialties division. “We remain committed to using our innovative chemistry to provide value to our customers and shareholders, as well as to protecting our intellectual property rights.”
Sinorgchem CEO Stephen Choi said his company is glad to put the dispute behind it. Sung-Kyu Lim, senior executive vice president of Korea Kumho’s sales division, expressed appreciation for its customers’ patience and support during the legal proceedings.
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