Energy Conversion Devices Inc. (ECD, Rochester Hills, MI) announced that it and COBASYS LLC, its 50-50 manufacturing joint venture with ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures LLC, have entered into a settlement agreement with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (MEI), Panasonic EV Energy Co. Ltd. (PEVE) and Toyota Motor Corp. with respect to patent infringement disputes and counterclaims involving nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries before the International Chamber of Commerce, International Court of Arbitration. Under the terms of the settlement, no party admitted any liability.
Under the terms of the settlement, COBASYS and PEVE will cross license each other for current and future patents to avoid possible future litigation. COBASYS and PEVE have agreed to a technical cooperation agreement to advance the state-of-the-art of NiMH batteries, which are widely used in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). COBASYS and PEVE have also established a joint development program to collaborate on the development of next-generation, high-performance NiMH batteries for HEVs.
The parties reached an amicable settlement on mutually satisfactory terms that will help them to meet the requirements of expanding the HEV market. Details of the settlement are confidential.
