 |
| (Source: KIPRIS) |
By PatenTrip
Artience Co., Ltd. (formerly Toyo Ink SC Holdings) and Toyochem Co., Ltd. have intensified their legal dispute by appealing a decision from the Korean Intellectual Property Tribunal (KIPT) that invalidated significant claims of their patent covering conductive sheets and their manufacturing processes. In tandem, the companies have successfully amended the patent to mitigate potential future legal uncertainties.
The patent at the center of the dispute, KR1846474, pertains to electrically conductive sheets used in heat press processes for substrates such as printed circuit boards (PCBs). The patent's key technology, incorporating thermosetting resins and dendrite-shaped conductive particles, is designed to enhance performance by minimizing defects, maintaining sheet thickness, and increasing conductivity — essential for applications in EMI shielding and electronic components.
The legal battle began in May 2022, when Artience and Toyochem filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Yulchon Chemical in the Seoul Central District Court. The companies alleged that Yulchon’s conductive adhesive sheets for flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) infringed upon their patented technology. Artience and Toyochem are seeking an injunction and damages, citing their dominance in the FPCB market, particularly in products like electromagnetic shielding films, conductive adhesive sheets, and insulation bonding sheets.
In August 2022, Yulchon Chemical responded by filing a patent invalidation claim with the KIPT, specifically targeting claims 1, 2, and 10 of the patent. In September 2023, the KIPT invalidated claims 1 and 10 while dismissing Yulchon’s challenge to claim 2, which was dependent on the now-invalidated claim 1.
In response, Artience and Toyochem filed an appeal with the Patent Court of Korea in November 2023, with hearings scheduled for December 2024.
Additionally, the companies requested a correction trial, leading to the successful deletion of claim 2 in September 2024. This move was likely intended to avoid legal ambiguity in future disputes, as dependent claims like claim 2 lose their standing once the corresponding independent claim (claim 1) is invalidated.
By proactively removing claim 2, Artience and Toyochem aim to streamline the patent and avoid potential future litigation risks. The case underscores the strategic importance of patent clarity in the competitive high-tech sector, particularly for core technologies like conductive sheets used in PCBs.
As of January 2024, Toyo Ink SC Holdings has officially rebranded as Artience Co., Ltd., marking a new chapter in this ongoing legal saga.
 |
| (Source: https://www.artiencegroup.com/en/products/electronics/lioelm-tsc.html) |
Comments
Post a Comment