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Hyundai Loses $28.9 Million Patent Trial Over Hybrid Engines

An exhibit showing the electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain of a Hyundai Sonata. — An exhibit showing the electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain of a Hyundai Sonata.
Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

By

Susan Decker

October 1, 2015, 9:32 PM UTCUpdated onOctober 2, 2015, 1:41 AM UTC

Hyundai Motor Co. and affiliate Kia Motors Corp. were told to pay a Baltimore company $28.9 million after a federal jury said the South Korean carmakers infringed patents related to hybrid engines. The companies pledged to appeal.

The jury on Thursday rejected arguments by Hyundai and Kia that the patents owned by Paice LLC were invalid, and instead found the infringement was intentional. That means the trial judge could increase the damage award to as much as three times the amount set by the jury.