Hyundai and Kia sued over hybrid technology patents

By Brett Davis | February 20th, 2012

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Hyundai and Kia are facing legal action from a US-based technology company that claims the South Korean manufacturers’ shared hybrid system infringes patent laws.

US firm Paice launched a similar patent-infringement dispute with Toyota in 2010, claiming the Japanese manufacturer had infringed its 1994 patent for a hybrid system. After years of battling, the two companies eventually settled outside of court, allowing Toyota to continue producing its hybrid vehicles.

Paice claims Hyundai’s Sonata Hybrid and Kia’s Optima Hybrid (neither of which is sold in Australia) use the same sort of hybrid powertrain technology that Paice patented in 1994.

A lawsuit was filed last Thursday at the Baltimore federal court accusing the companies of infringing three patents. It’s understood both Hyundai and Kia were aware of the dispute with Toyota.

Ford has in the past agreed to license Paice technology to avoid further court action.

Paice is looking to stop Hyundai and Kia from producing its hybrids, and wants cash compensation. In a statement, the company said, “since as early as 2004, Paice has contacted Hyundai on numerous occasions and offered to discuss its patented hybrid technology”.

Court action is expected to commence soon.

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kazuo

all these manufactures ignored the patent he filed in 1994. poor him that his invention has not been rewarded properly. but his invention does benefit environment (depends on how pollute is the battery fitted in)
Guest

The patent troll lives.
c1ee

Not sure but sounds like patent trolls
Jerrycan

Well they must have a case if Toyota and Ford are dealing with them, but I thought patents only lasted 10 years?
Good luck suing a Chinese company for infringments though.
The chinese have absolutely no respect for patents or copyright, or real free markets (except when it is in their favour of course).
- Acfsambo
  
  Chinese? Hyundai and Kia are South Korean
- Mad Max
  
  Depends on the patent application but most can last 20 years without re-newal but can then be re-applied for by modifying the design and then applying for a patent that covers the original design in an improved form. Your right about Chinese having no regard for patents and registered designs. Gm lost a case against Cherry a few years ago. Cherry copied a small GM car (can’t remember the name) for infringement of a registered design. The case was heard in China where a GM engineer removed the front guards and doors from the GM vehicle and fitted them to the Cherry. Everything lined up the bolts headlights, everything. I has seen pictures and understand that a video is on Youtube but have not seen it. GM lost the case.
  Honda also sued a Chinese motorcycle company for the engine used in their Post Office bike. All parts are interchangeable and the only way Honda can tell them apart is mettallurgical analyisis of the cast aluminium parts. The case has been going for a long time and Honda are not confident of winning.
WayneTSV

I’m sure this will be settled long before it reaches a court…
- Mad Max
  
  Depends if Hyundai and Kia have infringed any patents or not. If they are confident that they are innocent they will do anything they can to prove themselves innocent. If not, then youyr 100% right, it will be settled behind closed doors and they will quickly move on.
Jcp

Well this will be settled behind closed doors as usual..
Guest

i swear china, i hate how they can only copy others instead of innovating. disgusting chinese.
- JHP
  
  hyundai and kia are south korean company
  please, educate yourself
  - Guest
    
    i know this is a south korean company. but im saying in general , chinese copies all kinds of cars to the point where its just disgusting and completely demoralising for their nation. well at least i would be
- Tsis5655
  
  remove yourself from the gene pool, f_ckwit.
- are6729
  
  remove yourself from the gene pool, waste of space
  - Golfschwein
    
    Can you please say something to me?
simon

gosh… shame on all those people who think that hyundai and kia are chinese. plus it’s not just hyundai, the japs and the americans also had to deal with them.
- are6729
  
  waste of space
I have no clue

Typical Chinese, copying and not innovating… Bad Hyundai.
- Ute Drivn’ Bogan
  
  You Banana… It’s a Korean car!
scatman

All the Chinese Korean and Japanese cars all look the same
- Bogan HSV Lover
  
  Ha Ha Ha
- Guest
  
  All cars look the same! 2 headlights, 4 wheels, 1 steering wheel! I can’t handle this similarity anymore!!
- vid_ghost_borg
  
  lol true dat! and all Euro cars have terrible reliability and wont last a month without a problem poping up!
Jerrycan

Sorry everyone, it was my bad grammar.
I know that Hyundai / Kia are Korean companies and they pretty well do the right thing legally regarding car developments eg licensing technology and hiring European stylists, and we’ll see what transpires in court regarding the hybrid tech, which is the right thing.
I don’t have any problems with Korean companies in that respect.
What I should have gone to say was the plethora of hybrid and EV vehicles being developed in China are likely to be contravening all sorts of patents and really they don’t give a damn.
Now that was fine while they had official UN developing nation status, but they have gone way beyond that now and whats the point of R&D in Australia or any other country if it is just going to be pirated by the chinese.

China ties the Yuan to the US$ and undercuts nearly every other manuafacturer in every other country and by the by, manufacturing in Australia is pretty well doomed.
While it was not the original cause of, it is certainly contributing to the ongoing GFC crisis.

Before you mention mining being Australia’s saviour it is just a matter of time before China actually takes over the big miners. They will threaten to embargo our LCD televisions unless the government allows it to happen.
Have a look at situations where a chinese company (government) controls mining in a foreign country, It ain’t pretty and that country does not benefit.

The Chinese government has the same sort of attitude to foreigners as the Japanese government had prior to the 2nd WW, and you can ask the Koreans and the Chinese about that as they were on the receiving end!

But that’s just my opinion.
@086e0f69b2e8fe7dfdbd13b6165e908f:disqus
- Jerrycan
  
  I have got no idea how “Mad Max” got onto the end of my diatribe.
  - Xavier, Style Messiah
    
    Jerrycan,
    
    Interesting points you make. If China overtakes the US as the top superpower China will be saying to Australia you will sell your resources to us cheap… or else.
    
    Australia needs to develop value adding industries connected to the mining sector where we have a comparative advantage. Where the hell is the policy vision from our leaders in Canberra… It beggars belief.
    
    Diatribe over.
JD

well at least we know what the facelift i45 will look like. look at the headlights!
Nnhgtf

I just purchased a Kia optima hybrid. Hope this doesn’t mess with servicing.
save it for the track

China are also buying up large tracts of farmland in Australia where they can. So we will end up with no manufacturing, a poor bargaining position for resources, and our ‘home grown’ produce will be majority foreign owned. Strange how Hyundai/Kia don’t market their hybrids in Aus. I’m sure Hyundai even has an LPG hybrid.
http://www.limo-hire-perth.com.au/ Limousine Hire Perth

Hyundai Motor is well known for its user-friendly features, great mileage and fuel efficiency of the economy. Have received adequate visibility, especially in the part of passenger cars from years of Hyundai Motor. Hyundai Motor car of the future and in many regions is very suitable for improvisation products.