South Korean IP Tribunal Upholds ShinanAuto's Claims in Years-Long Patent Battle
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| Figures from the patent titled 'pneumatic cylinder actuator units' (KR1634262) owned by ShinanAuto (Source: KIPRIS) |
By PatenTrip
ShinanAuto recently achieved a favorable outcome in its extended patent dispute against Harnics, with South Korea's Intellectual Property Tribunal supporting ShinanAuto's claims over two key patents related to pneumatic cylinder actuator units (KR1634262 and KR1762812).
The dispute originated in April 2019 when ShinanAuto filed a scope confirmation trial at South Korea's Intellectual Property Tribunal, asserting that Harnics had infringed on its '262 patent. ShinanAuto's initial request for infringement confirmation was dismissed by the tribunal in September 2020.
ShinanAuto then appealed to the Patent Court, which reversed the decision in October 2021, leading to a remand. Following the remand, the tribunal ruled in December 2021 that the pneumatic cylinder unit in question indeed fell within the scope of the '262 patent.
In May 2022, Harnics challenged the patent's validity, specifically targeting claims 8 and 10-13. However, in March 2023, the tribunal upheld ShinanAuto's corrective amendment application, effectively dismissing Harnics' invalidation attempt. While Harnics initiated another invalidation trial in 2024, it withdrew its claim on October 21, solidifying ShinanAuto's win.
A similar process played out for the '812 patent. In November 2018, ShinanAuto filed for scope confirmation of this patent, which was initially denied. ShinanAuto appealed in January 2020, and by November 2022, the Patent Court ruled in its favor.
Despite Harnics' appeal to the Supreme Court, the ruling was upheld in March 2021. The tribunal subsequently confirmed ShinanAuto's claims in the remanded case in July 2021, further strengthening ShinanAuto's patent rights.
By PatenTrip
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