Court Rejects AkzoNobel Patent Suit

FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2015


Dow Chemical Co. did not infringe upon AkzoNobel's patented extrusion process in developing its own coatings, a federal judge has ruled.

The brief order Monday (Jan. 26) by U.S. District Court Judge Leonard P. Stark ended a years-long lawsuit by AkzoNobel Coatings Inc., claiming that the Delaware-based chemical giant stole Akzo's patented high-temperature method for creating polymer dispersions.

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The U.S. District Court judge rejected AkzoNobel's 2012 claim that Dow stole its patented "Extrusion Process" method for creating polymer dispersions.
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The U.S. District Court judge rejected AkzoNobel's 2012 claim that Dow stole its patented "Extrusion Process" method for creating polymer dispersions.

The order, granting Dow's Motion for Summary Judgment of Noninfringement, was accompanied by a Memorandum Opinion that was kept under seal. The order resolved several disputed terms and phrases that were part of Akzo Nobel's 2004 U.S. Patent No. 6,767,956 (also called "the '956 Patent").

Extrusion Process

The "Extrusion Process" invention "relates to processes for producing aqueous dispersions of finely divided polymer, and for making powders from these dispersions, to aqueous dispersions made by the process and to powders made from the dispersions," according to the patent.

The innovation "represents a modification of the known extrusion proceses to allow the production of novel aqueous fine liquid dispersions of polymers having a melting point close to or above 100°C," the patent noted.

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Bluewave
Dow Chemical Co.

AkzoNobel said its process was used in Dow's Bluewave Polyolefin Dispersion (POD) technology.

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NLB Corporation

The patent was originally secured in July 2004 by Imperial Chemical Industries PLC (ICI), which AkzoNobel acquired in 2008.

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Tarps manufacturing, Inc.

In its brief 2012 complaint, AkzoNobel accused Dow of infringing on the patent "by way of its activities involving the manufacture of aqueous polymer dispersions, including the manufacture using [Dow's] 'Bluewave' process."

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Quikspray, Inc.

Dow advertises its proprietary Bluewave technology in a variety of paint and coating dispersions.
 

Tagged categories: AkzoNobel; Coating chemistry; Coatings manufacturers; Coatings raw materials manufacturers; Coatings Technology; Dow Chemical Company; Polymers


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