Evonik Industries AG, Essen (Germany) with its Business Line Catalysts has won a seven years long patent litigation in a jury trial in the Federal District Court in Wilmington DE, USA against Materia Inc., Pasadena CA. After a 9-day trial, the jury confirmed the validity of Evonik’s US patent 7,378,528 directed to olefin metathesis catalysts containing NHC (N-heterocyclic carbene) ligands. The Court had earlier decided that 50 of Materia’s catalysts infringe Evonik’s ‘528 patent. The Court also held previously that Evonik’s catMETium® RF metathesis catalyst products do not infringe Materia’s US patent 7,622,590. Materia provided a worldwide covenant not to sue Evonik or its customers on any patent in Materia’s ‘590 family. The jury awarded Evonik over 1.5 Million US$ which will be supplemented with interest for the entire period and additional royalties for the most recent financial periods for Materia’s infringement. Evonik has been represented by ReedSmith LLP, Wilmington DE / USA.

Evonik with its Business Line Catalysts is a global leader in producing specialty catalysts, custom catalysts and catalysts components for the Life Sciences & Fine Chemicals, Industrial & Petrochemical and Polyolefines market segments.