Celgard Files New Complaint against Senior, Xiaomin (Steven) Zhang, Sun Town and Global Venture for Trade Secret Misappropriation and Also Files Amended Complaint in Patent Infringement Case

PR83139

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, March 4, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Celgard, LLC (Celgard), a subsidiary of Polypore International, LP (Polypore),

filed a Complaint against Defendants Shenzhen Senior Technology Material Co.

Ltd. (Senior-China), Shenzhen Senior Technology Material Co. Ltd. (US) Research

Institute (Senior-California), Xiaomin (Steven) Zhang (Dr. Zhang), Sun Town

Technology, Inc. (Sun Town),  Global Venture Development, LLC, and Global

Venture Development, Inc. (collectively, Global Venture) (collectively, WDNC

Defendants) in the United States (U.S.) District Court for the Western District

of North Carolina (WDNC) for trade secret misappropriation, unfair and

deceptive trade practices and unfair competition, civil conspiracy, unjust

enrichment and conversion. Additionally, Celgard filed a Second Amended

Complaint against Defendants Shenzhen Senior Technology Material Co. Ltd. (US)

Research Institute (Senior-California), Farasis Energy USA, Inc., Farasis

Energy, Inc., Farasis Energy (Gan Zhou), Inc., and Farasis Energy (Gan Zhou)

Co., Ltd. (collectively, Farasis), Sun Town Technology, Inc. (Sun Town), Global

Venture Development, LLC, and Global Venture Development, Inc. (collectively,

Global Venture) (collectively, NDCA Defendants) for patent infringement, breach

of contract and breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing in

the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (NDCA).

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The WDNC Complaint alleges the WDNC Defendants, including a former Celgard

employee, Xiaomin (Steven) Zhang, now CTO of Senior-China who changed his name

to Bin Wang at the request of Senior-China, purposely and unlawfully

misappropriated Celgard's trade secrets and confidential information and

continue to do so. Several other violations of the law are also alleged.

The NDCA Second Amended Complaint alleges the NDCA Defendants infringe

Celgard's United States Reissued Patent RE47,520 (the '520 patent), formerly

United States Patent 6,432,586 (the '586 patent), on ceramic coated separators,

and Celgard's United States Patent No. 6,692,867 (the '867 patent), on

polypropylene separators, as well as several other violations of law and

breaches.

In each of the WDNC and NDCA cases, Celgard has requested a jury trial, an

injunction, and other relief including monetary damages. Such an injunction if

granted in the WDNC would prohibit the WDNC Defendants (Senior-China,

Senior-California, Dr. Zhang, Sun Town, and Global Venture) from: (1) use of

Celgard's trade secrets and/or confidential information, (2) continuing their

unfair and deceptive trade practices and unfair competition, and (3) making,

testing, using, promoting, offering to sell, marketing, commercializing, or

selling separators or products that utilize, embody, or were developed with the

benefit or use of any of Celgard's trade secrets and/or confidential

information in the U.S., or from importing into the U.S. such separators or

products. Such an injunction if granted in the NDCA would prohibit the NDCA

Defendants (Senior-California, Farasis, Sun Town, and Global Venture) from: (1)

infringement of Celgard's '520 patent and '867 patent, and (2) making, using,

offering to sell, or selling in the U.S., or from importing into the U.S.,

products that infringe the '520 and '867 patents and/or induce or encourage

others to infringe the '520 and '867 patents and violate the Court's injunction

order (the enjoined behavior).

In December 2019, Celgard filed a First Amended Complaint in the NDCA adding to

the suit the Defendants Farasis, Sun Town, and Global Venture. See Release. (

https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/celgard-files-amended-complaint-adding-farasis-sun-town-and-global-venture-to-lawsuit-against-senior-for-patent-infringement-and-trade-secret-misappropriation-856158718.html

)    

In September 2019, Celgard filed suit against Senior who sells separators

globally that they make in Shenzhen, China. Celgard's Complaint alleges Senior

has infringed Celgard's U.S. '520 and '867 patents on ceramic coated and

polypropylene separators, and has unlawfully misappropriated and misused

Celgard's trade secrets and confidential information, among other violations

and seeks compensation for damages. See Release (

https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2736127-1&h=1867894352&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.prnewswire.com%2Fnews-releases%2Fcelgard-files-lawsuit-against-senior-for-patent-infringement-of-ceramic-coated-separators-used-in-lithium-batteries-300919235.html%3Ftc%3Deml_cleartime&a=See+Release

).

In September 2019, Celgard successfully settled a patent infringement lawsuit

against Targray International (Targray) for infringing Celgard's '520 and '867

patents. See Release (

https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2736127-1&h=167475505&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.prnewswire.com%2Fnews-releases%2Fcelgard-successfully-sues-targray-on-infringement-of-celgards-ceramic-coated-battery-separator-patent-300914298.html&a=See+Release

).

In June 2019, Celgard also successfully settled two suits against MTI

Corporation (MTI) for selling separators that infringe Celgard's '586 patent

and for selling counterfeit separators with the Celgard(R) registered

trademark. See Release (

https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2736127-1&h=1137470732&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.prnewswire.com%2Fnews-releases%2Fcelgard-successfully-sues-mti-corporation-on-mtis-infringement-of-celgards-ceramic-coated-battery-separator-patent-300859501.html&a=See+Release

).

The successful outcome of the Targray and MTI cases further solidifies the

integrity of Celgard's intellectual property (IP) regarding coated and uncoated

separators for lithium-ion batteries. Celgard will continue to prevent the

unfair exploitation of its technology and IP to safeguard its assets and

customers.

About Celgard and Polypore

Celgard specializes in coated and uncoated dry-process microporous membranes

used as separators that are a major component of lithium-ion batteries.

Celgard's battery separator technology is important to the performance of

lithium-ion batteries for electric drive vehicles, energy storage systems and

other applications.

Celgard, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Polypore International, LP, an

Asahi Kasei Company.

Polypore is a global company with facilities in nine countries specializing in

microporous membranes used in electric and nonelectric vehicles, energy storage

systems and specialty applications. Visit www.celgard.com and www.polypore.com.

SOURCE: Polypore International, LP

CONTACT: Beth Kitteringham, polycorpcom@polypore.net, +1 (704) 587-8596,

www.polypore.com