SK Innovation filed the suit with a U.S. court, claiming that LG Chem and LG Electronics infringed on SK Innovation's battery patents.
SK Innovation said on Aug. 30 that it will file a lawsuit against LG Chem and the company's local subsidiary LG Chem Michigan Inc. with the U.S. International Trade Commission and a federal court, while also filing a suit against LG Electronics with the federal court.
"Not only LG Chem, which infringed on our patents as a direct competitor of battery business, but also LG Electronics, which produces and sells battery modules and packs after receiving battery cells from LG Chem, were included in the lawsuits," SK Innovation said.
In April, LG Chem filed a lawsuit with the U.S. ITC and the Delaware District Court against SK Innovation, claiming that it infringed on its business secrets by taking out key battery workers.
In response, SK Innovation filed a suit against LG Chem in June to claim damages for defamation charges, and decided to file a counter suit in the U.S. on the same day.
SK Innovation claimed that after LG Chem filed the suit in April, it made various efforts to resolve the issue, but it did not happen.
“The door to dialogue is always open, as we believe that it is more productive to strive to solve the problem through dialogue and cooperation, even now," said Lim Soo-gil, a public relations head at SK Innovation.
In response, LG Chem said on Aug. 30, “It is very sorry that the rival company filed an unnecessary patent infringement complaint in an attempt to turn the situation, while the ITC lawsuit it filed to protect its legitimate rights is under way.”
"If SK Innovation will admit its wrongdoing and promise to make a sincere apology and prevent a recurrence, we will always engage in dialogue," it added.
