LG Energy Solution and SK Innovation, Korean rivals in court and EV battery market, are ratcheting up publicity campaign ahead of a crucial presidential review that can determine SK Innovation’s business prospects in the United States.

SK Innovation, facing a 10-year ban in the U.S. should President Joe Biden chooses not to veto the order from the International Trade Commission (ITC) for commercial theft of technologies of LG Energy Solution, pitched its latest positive results in patent suits to build its grounds.

“We are about to win the battery separator patent infringement suit filed by LG Energy solution after a 10-year-long battle,” SK Innovation said in a statement on Tuesday.

The ITC found three out of the four patent suits raised by LG Energy Solution against SK Innovation invalid in latest rulings. A preliminary review on the fourth case also turned favorably for SK.

SK said the ITC recognized the difference of its technology from that of LG, and the trade secret lawsuit would have ended up in a very different conclusion if it had properly proved its technological uniqueness.

LG refuted, saying that it is “deeply sorry” that SK released arbitrarily interpreted raw documents showing how desperate and anxious it is, and those accusations are “unworthy of a response,” in its statement.

Although the ITC ruling is only a preliminary one, SK is acting as if it wins the entire battle, LG argued, accusing it of making ludicrous claims over and over again for the past two years.

“If SK had no choice but to steal our technologies to catch up in the market as a follower, it should admit its wrongdoing and make proper compensation to continue to carry out the business in a fair way, it added,

In February, the ITC ruled in favor of LG Energy Solution in a case over battery trade secrets and banned SK Innovation from importing, producing and selling lithium-ion batteries in the U.S. over the next 10 years.

The ruling could damage SK Innovation`s operation in Georgia if President Biden does not veto it by April 11 review deadline.

By Pulse

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