Germany's Supreme Court Rules in Solvay's Favor on Patent Case With Neo
14.4.2021 10:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
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
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210414005292/en/
Contact information
Media relations
Peter Boelaert
+32 479 309 159
peter.boelaert@solvay.com
Jeanette Stellbrink
+49 T+49 511 857 2446
jeanette.stellbrink@solvay.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
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
Bending Spoons has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Airtable for $1.285 billion4.8.2026 09:30:00 EEST | Press release
Bending Spoons S.p.A. (NASDAQ: BSP) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Airtable, in an all-cash transaction that values Airtable at an enterprise value of $1.285 billion, which, together with Airtable’s current net cash-and-cash-equivalents balance, implies an equity value of approximately $2.25 billion. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and approvals, including regulatory approvals. “We’re looking forward to welcoming Airtable into Bending Spoons,” said Luca Ferrari, Bending Spoons CEO and co-founder. “Airtable is a pioneering brand reshaping how teams organize data and manage critical workflows. The value being delivered is reflected in annual recurring revenue growing over 20% YoY to approximately $480 million as of June 2026, and joining forces with Bending Spoons will accelerate innovation even further. We’re committed to investing in Airtable for the long run, and doubling down on its core strength: bringing teams and wor
4Moving Biotech Completes Enrollment in Phase 2a INFLAM MOTION Study Evaluating First-in-class Intra-articular GLP-1 Therapy Targeting Synovitis as a Driver of Pain and Disease Progression in Knee Osteoarthritis4.8.2026 08:00:00 EEST | Press release
4Moving Biotech (4MB), a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing first-in-class therapies for inflammatory knee osteoarthritis, today announced the completion of patient enrollment in INFLAM MOTION, its international Phase 2a proof-of-concept study. The trial is evaluating the efficacy and safety of 4P004, an investigational intra-articular GLP-1 receptor agonist designed to address the inflammatory mechanisms underlying both symptoms and disease progression in knee osteoarthritis. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260803530661/en/ 4Moving Biotech completes enrollment in Phase 2a INFLAM MOTION study evaluating first-in-class intra-articular GLP-1 therapy targeting synovitis as a driver of pain and disease progression in knee osteoarthritis INFLAM MOTION is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2a clinical trial conducted across Europe, the United States and Canada
ClickHouse Launches ClickHouse Labs With Andy Pavlo as VP of Database Research3.8.2026 16:30:00 EEST | Press release
ClickHouse today announced the launch of ClickHouse Labs, a new research group led by Andy Pavlo, one of the database industry’s most prominent researchers. Dr. Pavlo joins ClickHouse as Vice President of Database Research and will build a team dedicated to advancing the state of the art in database systems. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260803890510/en/ Andy Pavlo, VP of Database Research, ClickHouse Pavlo is an award-winning database researcher and professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Computer Science Department. He is known throughout the database community for his work on autonomous databases, transaction processing, and large-scale data analytics. At ClickHouse, he will bring that expertise to some of the most ambitious and consequential challenges facing modern data systems, as AI reshapes the demands placed on all data-intensive workloads. “At ClickHouse, we are interested in finding new and inno
Lehman Brothers Treasury Considers Sale and Final Wind-Down3.8.2026 16:30:00 EEST | Press release
Lehman Brothers Treasury Co. B.V. in liquidation (“LBT”) today, through its U.S. counsel Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (USA) LLP, announced that LBT is considering a final wind-down of its estate. In connection therewith, LBT has retained Seaport Loan Products LLC as its exclusive placement agent in connection with the potential sale of LBT’s principal remaining asset – a $19.6 billion Class 4A allowed claim against Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (the “LBHI Claim”). LBT expects the sale to occur, if at all, in August 2026. To the extent the LBHI Claim is sold, LBT expects to make a final distribution to the holders of its existing notes and thereafter facilitate the cancellation of those notes and the final wind down of its estate in September 2026. The foregoing is subject to further consents and authorizations and LBT retains sole discretion to abandon or otherwise discontinue any sale process at any time. Accordingly, there can be no assurances that the sale process will be conducte
EuroTeleSites Strengthens Operations One Year into Sitetracker Partnership3.8.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
EuroTeleSites, one of Central and Eastern Europe's leading independent tower companies, today announced the results of its first year in partnership with Sitetracker, the leading global Asset Lifecycle Management platform. One year into the deployment, EuroTeleSites reports meaningful progress in its digital transformation, with measurable improvements in operational efficiency, cross-market transparency, and project coordination across its six-country footprint. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260727009809/en/ EuroTeleSites Strengthens Operations One Year into Sitetracker Partnership Driving Efficiency in a Complex, High-Investment Environment EuroTeleSites invests approximately 25% of its revenue into capital expenditures in 2026, funding the construction and upgrade of tower infrastructure across Central and Eastern European markets. Managing this level of scale and complexity demands robust digital support
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