Federal judge sides with DuPont in Kevlar antitrust claim

A federal judge in Virginia has ruled in favor of the DuPont Co. in a dispute with a South Korean company that lost a trade secrets lawsuit last year.

The judge late Thursday granted summary judgment to DuPont on antitrust claims by Kolon Industries alleging that DuPont tried to monopolize the market for high-strength synthetic fibers used in products such as Kevlar body armor.
Earlier this year, the judge refused to overturn a jury’s decision in the underlying trade secret lawsuit.

The jury ruled that Kolon had maliciously and willfully misappropriated DuPont’s Kevlar technology and awarded DuPont a $919 million damage award.

DuPont says it will begin proceedings shortly to enforce that judgment, and that it has filed a motion requiring Kolon to stop making products using the stolen technology.