CALB file 1.007B RMB suit against CATL amid intensifying battles

The patent litigation battle between China's lithium battery giants Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) and China Aviation Lithium Battery (CALB) is intensifying.

On October 18, CALB announced it has filed a lawsuit against CATL and its affiliates for infringing on four of its patents, seeking a total of 1.007 billion RMB in damages. This marks the first time CALB has initiated legal action against CATL over patents.

The largest claim involves the "liquid-cooled plate battery module" patent. CALB accuses CATL and Tesla Automotive Sales and Service (Wuhan) Co., Ltd. of infringement, demanding they cease production and sales of the infringing products. CALB is seeking 560 million RMB in economic damages and 2 million RMB in legal fees.

CALB has also filed lawsuits concerning three other patents. Besides CATL, the defendants include CATL's subsidiary Sichuan Times New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., and automotive manufacturers Avita and Zeekr's sales companies. The patents in question cover "battery device and assembly method," "battery and battery device," and "battery pack."

This is not the first clash between the two companies. The patent war between CALB and CATL began in July 2021. Over the past three years, CATL has filed multiple patent infringement lawsuits against CALB, with claims exceeding 700 million RMB.

CATL took a strong stance from the start, filing its first lawsuit in 2021 over five patents, seeking 188 million RMB in damages. The litigation has intensified over time, with fierce disputes over multiple patents.

So far, CATL has won three cases, including patents for "current collector component and battery" and "explosion-proof device," securing a total of 44.53 million RMB in compensation. However, CALB plans to appeal these rulings.

CATL has also faced setbacks. In December of last year, the Supreme People's Court overturned initial rulings by the Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court on two patents, "cathode sheet and battery" and "lithium-ion battery," dismissing CATL's lawsuits. The Fuzhou court had previously ruled that CALB should compensate CATL 57.10 million RMB.

Additionally, the companies were involved in a patent litigation concerning the "power battery packaging assembly" patent. On October 18, CALB disclosed it had lost this case, with the Fujian High People's Court ordering it to compensate CATL 58.55 million RMB for economic losses and infringement cessation expenses. CALB intends to appeal the ruling.

Another lawsuit involving the "secondary battery" patent is still awaiting judgment. CALB disclosed this case in July, with CATL demanding 92.30 million RMB in economic losses and infringement cessation expenses.

On July 26, CALB announced it had received another lawsuit from the Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court, with CATL suing for infringement of a utility model patent, seeking 92 million RMB in damages and 300,000 RMB in legal fees. This case is also pending.

CATL and CALB are both prominent players in the automotive power battery sector. According to the latest data from the China Automotive Power Battery Industry Innovation Alliance, over the first nine months of this year, CATL leads the domestic power battery market with a market share of 45.85%, while CALB ranks third with a 6.94% share.