South Korea To Launch Patent Infringement Probe Into China-Made Smartphone Battery

South Korea's trade commission to probe alleged patent infringement involving a China-made smartphone battery and NCM811 cathode material. Investigations underway.

Image Credit: Reuters

Seoul: South Korea's trade commission said on Thursday that it will launch a probe into alleged patent infringement involving a China-made smartphone battery and battery material.

The Korea Trade Commission (KTC) stated that it plans to investigate whether the patent for LG Chem Ltd.'s cathode material, utilized in battery production and known as NCM811, was infringed upon by three Chinese firms and a local importer. The material is a mixture of nickel, cobalt, and manganese, used to enhance the power capacity of batteries, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

The commission is also set to investigate a petition submitted by the Semiconductor Energy Laboratory, a Japan-based entity, which claimed a battery patent infringement by a Chinese smartphone sold in South Korea. However, the agency did not reveal the name of the Chinese brand. 

In a separate move, the commission launched an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese PET resins imported here, following the claim filed by TK Chemical Corp.

The material is used in the production of bottles, food packages, and other industrial areas. The commission stated that it plans to come up with a preliminary ruling by June.