Knowles Says China Court Bars It From Defending Patents
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Knowles Corp., a maker of hearing-aid components and microphones for smartphones, said a Chinese court barred it from a trial where it’s the defendant in a patent dispute with rival Apple Inc. supplier Goertek Inc.
The decision is the latest in a series of “highly irregular actions” that have denied the company a fair trial in Weifang, Goertek’s hometown, Knowles said in an e-mailed statement yesterday. “Knowles continues to go through official Chinese legal channels and is asking for the most basic of legal rights,” Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Niew said in the statement.