SOLVAY
On April 6, 2021, Germany's Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) ruled in Solvay's favor on a patent invalidation case filed by Neo Chemicals & Oxides (Europe) Ltd. against a patent pertaining to ceric oxide products comprising catalysts for minimizing emissions of the latest generation automotive engines, and catalysts comprising such ceric oxide products.
The appeal case at the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) reverses an invalidation decision by the Federal Patent Court (Bundespatentgericht) in January 2019 related to the German designation of the patent EP 1 435 338 B1 . This appeal decision is final and conclusive (docket number X ZR 54/19 – BGH).
The Regional Court of Mannheim (Landgericht Mannheim) had already ruled in December 2017 that Neo Chemicals & Oxides (Europe) Ltd. (“Neo”) was infringing Solvay's patent by supplying certain cerium oxide materials in Germany. In its judgment, the Mannheim court prohibited Neo and two of its directors from offering, putting on the market, using, or importing (or possessing for such reasons) the infringing products in Germany. The court had further declared that Neo was liable for damages in respect of their past sales of such infringing ceric oxide products and needed to provide an accounting of their infringing activities. Neo appealed the decision to the Higher Regional Court (Oberlandesgericht) in Karlsruhe in January 2018. The infringement appeal had been stayed by the Karlsruhe Court pending the decision of the Federal Court of Justice. As validity has now been finally and conclusively established, the German infringement appeal proceedings will be resumed. Moreover, Solvay will seek damages for the infringement of the patent in the German courts.
As previously announced, UK courts in two instances also found the patent to be valid and infringed by Neo. Another UK court case is underway to determine the amount of damages that Neo owes Solvay on the basis of this infringement.
Neo is part of the Chemicals and Oxides Segment of the Neo Performance Materials Inc. group. The production facilities of the Chemicals and Oxides Segment are in Zibo, China, and Sillamäe, Estonia.
Respect of intellectual property rights is essential for free and healthy competition. Solvay will continue to take action to enforce its rights against infringers. Solvay will help its customers to cope with any difficulties due to exposure to corresponding compliance risks by Neo.
About Solvay
Solvay is a science company whose technologies bring benefits to many aspects of daily life. With more than 23,000 employees in 64 countries, Solvay bonds people, ideas and elements to reinvent progress. The Group seeks to create sustainable shared value for all, notably through its Solvay One Planet plan crafted around three pillars: protecting the climate, preserving resources and fostering better life. The Group’s innovative solutions contribute to safer, cleaner, and more sustainable products found in homes, food and consumer goods, planes, cars, batteries, smart devices, health care applications, water and air purification systems. Founded in 1863, Solvay today ranks among the world’s top three companies for the vast majority of its activities and delivered net sales of €9 billion in 2020. Solvay is listed on Euronext Brussels (SOLB) and Paris and in the United States, where its shares (SOLVY) are traded through a Level I ADR program. Learn more at www.solvay.com .
Follow us on Twitter @SolvayGroup
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210414005292/en/
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Murata Unveils World’s First 15nF/1.25kV C0G MLCC in 1210-inch Size2.12.2025 03:00:00 CET | Press release
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 6981) (ISIN: JP3914400001) announces the launch and mass production of its multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) featuring a capacitance of 15nF, a rated voltage of 1.25kV, and C0G characteristics in the compact 1210-inch (3.2mm x 2.5mm) size. This product delivers highly efficient power conversion and stable performance under high-voltage conditions, making it suitable for onboard chargers (OBCs) in electric vehicles (EVs) and power supply circuits in high-performance consumer devices. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251201104421/en/ [Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.] 15nF/1.25kV/C0G MLCC in 1210-inch Size Resonant and snubber circuits are essential for efficient power conversion and suppressing current and voltage peaks. In both circuits, repeated exposure to high voltage and high current can cause even slight changes in component performance, leading to efficiency loss or
With 40% of Agentic AI Projects Predicted to Fail, Leading Software Developer Says Compliance Is the One Place Where Agentic AI Will Thrive2.12.2025 01:01:00 CET | Press release
Ideagen's CEO explains why binary outcomes and high stakes make compliance ideal for autonomous AI The CEO of one of the world’s leading global compliance software developers, Ideagen, has today (December 2, 2025) said compliance represents the one domain where autonomous AI will succeed – despite technology insights company Gartner® warning "… over 40% of agentic AI projects will be canceled by the end of 2027”. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251201511477/en/ Ben Dorks, Ideagen CEO Speaking at the launch of their own agentic AI platform Ideagen Mazlan, Ben Dorks said: “Autonomous AI will succeed in compliance because failure is measurable, stakes are high and outcomes are binary. “AI that continuously monitors jurisdictional or industry specific compliance frameworks, detects patterns across thousands of records, raises actions for others to follow, flags gaps before audits, autonomously? That's agentic. It
VeriSilicon’s NPU IP VIP9000NanoOi-FS has Achieved ISO 26262 ASIL B Certification2.12.2025 01:00:00 CET | Press release
Extending the company’s functional safety IP portfolio to NPU IP VeriSilicon (688521.SH) today announced that its NPU IP VIP9000NanoOi-FS has successfully achieved ISO 26262 ASIL B certification, marking a significant milestone in the functional safety capabilities of the company’s neural network processing unit portfolio. This IP features an architecture streamlined for seamless SoC integration, delivering high-quality inference with low power consumption and a compact silicon footprint. The certificate was issued by SGS-TÜV Saar, an international testing, inspection and certification institution. As part of VeriSilicon’s VIP9000 series, the VIP9000NanoOi-FS IP is designed for automotive and edge AI applications, providing high-performance neural network processing with a safety-compliant architecture. The IP supports a wide range of AI inferencing models including Large Language Models (LLMs) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), with hardware-accelerated AI inference, enabling r
UMA Launches from Europe to Shape the Global Future of Physical AI1.12.2025 23:52:00 CET | Press release
UMA (Universal Mechanical Assistant), a new robotics intelligence company founded by former leaders from Tesla, Google DeepMind, Nvidia and Hugging Face, launches today with a clear goal: to bring advanced AI into the physical world and build humanoid robots ready for real work, in real environments, at scale. UMA’s founders were instrumental in shaping the last decade of breakthroughs in deep learning, robotics and open-source AI. They are convinced that the next era of artificial intelligence won’t unfold on screens, it will happen in warehouses, hospitals, labs, factories and homes, where machines must face friction, unpredictability and human complexity. UMA is built for this transition: from digital intelligence to physical autonomy. AI Is Moving Off the Screen and into the World The past ten years gave rise to generative models, multimodal systems and language-based intelligence. The next decade will be defined by robotics, powered by an AI that can see, move, manipulate and make
FlightSafety International Appoints Eric Hinson as Chief Executive Officer1.12.2025 23:00:00 CET | Press release
FlightSafety International Inc. today announced the appointment of Eric Hinson as chief executive officer, effective immediately. Hinson will succeed former president Barbara Telek who recently announced her retirement. Hinson’s appointment marks a return to FlightSafety. He served as an executive vice president from 2009 to 2012 before leaving to be the president and CEO of Simcom International, Inc. Hinson started his aviation career as a naval aviator flying tactical aircraft in training, fleet, and operational test squadrons. Today, he is an active ATP-rated pilot with more than 5,000 total flight hours. He brings a unique operational perspective to the position—one that blends executive leadership with firsthand experience. In addition to FlightSafety and Simcom, Hinson has served in a variety of senior leadership positions at leading aviation companies, including Honeywell, Gulfstream, and Piaggio Aerospace. He also served as a board member of the General Aviation Manufacturer As
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom