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
Cinemo Launches Cinemo ICO™, Accelerating the AI-Driven Intelligent Cockpit19.12.2025 11:00:00 CET | Press release
The future of in-car intelligence, delivered today for hyper-personalized, safer, smarter, and more exceptional journeys Cinemo, a global leader and highly innovative one-stop-shop provider for fully integrated digital media products announces today the launch of its next-generation, AI-powered cockpit solutions - Cinemo ICO™. By bringing agentic AI, Cinemo unlocks a truly intelligent cockpit - connecting vehicles, drivers, passengers, and their digital ecosystems into one seamless, personal and context-aware flow. The first product launched within the Cinemo ICO™ portfolio is Cinemo ICO™ MediaMind, enabling advanced intelligent media discovery. It combines the latest agentic AI technology with Cinemo’s core expertise of providing automotive-grade media management, helping users effortlessly discover the right content for every ride - perfectly matched to their taste, context, and environment. With Cinemo ICO™ MediaMind, the digital media experience evolves: using cutting-edge large la
Cyviz Awarded Two Classified NATO Defense Contracts19.12.2025 08:00:00 CET | Press release
Norwegian technology and platform company Cyviz AS has been awarded two classified defense contracts by major European NATO-partner nations to deliver a fully mobile, containerised Command & Control (C2) capability, strengthening Europe’s operational readiness in high-threat and expeditionary environments. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251218625485/en/ Image from a previous military exercise where Cyviz demonstrated a mobile command center solution. The contracts cover the design, integration, and delivery of secure, deployable operations centres engineered to NATO security standards, enabling military and security forces to establish full theatre-class command capability wherever operations require. Due to the sensitive nature of the missions, contract value and customer identities remain undisclosed. From Demonstrated Readiness to Operational Deployment The awards follow growing interest among European def
S3NS Announces SecNumCloud Qualification for PREMI3NS, its Trusted Cloud Offering19.12.2025 07:00:00 CET | Press release
PREMI3NS, S3NS’ (pronounced “sense”) trusted cloud offering, has now received ANSSI’s SecNumCloud qualification, meeting the most stringent protection requirements against extraterritorial laws in France and Europe The fruition of the partnership between Thales and Google Cloud enables organizations from the private and public sectors to innovate and transform with one of the broadest ranges of managed services in a trusted cloud environment Early adopters of S3NS include companies from the insurance, manufacturing, healthcare and finance industries S3NS, a subsidiary of Thales in partnership with Google Cloud, today announced that PREMI3NS, its "Trusted Cloud" (Cloud de confiance) offering, has received the SecNumCloud 3.2 qualification delivered by the French National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI). Meeting SecNumCloud 3.2’s protection and resilience requirements, which are known as the most demanding ones in France and Europe, it offers immunity from non-Euro
Meiji Seika Pharma Partners With MBC BioLabs to Strengthen Global Innovation in Drug Discovery19.12.2025 02:00:00 CET | Press release
Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Toshiaki Nagasato) today announced that it has entered into a partnership agreement with MBC BioLabs which is a private organization supporting the development of biotech startup companies in California’s San Francisco Bay Area. MBC BioLabs provides fully equipped research facilities and a supportive community that help biotech entrepreneurs accelerate from concept to company. By removing the burden of building and maintaining laboratory infrastructure, resident companies can focus early on research and development while efficiently advancing commercialization. Through this partnership, Meiji Seika Pharma will further advance its open-innovation initiatives and strengthen research and development in its priority therapeutic areas: infectious diseases, hematologic diseases, and immune-inflammatory diseases. By engaging with the entrepreneurs and startup community at MBC BioLabs, the company aims to discover inn
Enry's Island SpA Strengthens Its Leadership in Venture Capital with Explosive Growth and Redesigns the Future of VC Through Gaming19.12.2025 00:34:00 CET | Press release
Announcement of Enry’s Island AdVentures: the world’s first video game to learn how to launch and scale startups, focused on democratizing innovation for “Long Tail Users” Enry’s Island SpA (WBAG:EIOS), the world’s first publicly listed venture builder, announces a new era of growth, innovation, and the democratization of Venture Capital (VC). The company has delivered exceptional results, consolidating its position as an industry leader through a strategic positioning in the rapidly expanding gaming market. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251218742236/en/ Record Growth and Performance Enry’s Island SpA has demonstrated an extraordinary growth trajectory and a strong financial and operational track record: Revenues: +250% year-over-year (YoY). Exit: $3.6M in exits realized via IPO. Portfolio: 1 IPO of a portfolio company completed in December 2024, with an additional 2 IPOs expected in 2026. The performance of
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