A GERMAN court has awarded damages against a Chinese chemical company for infringing refrigerant patents.
The court in Dusseldorf has ordered Zhejiang Fluorescence Chemical Co Ltd to refrain from offering, selling, owning or importing R410A as a result of an action brought by Honeywell following the recent IKK show. Honeywell had obtained a preliminary injunction in October to stop companies from offering for sale infringing R410A at the show in Nuremberg in Nuremberg, Germany.

As a part of the latest court order, the defendant faces fines of up to 250,000 Euros or imprisonment for any repeated offense. The defendant was also ordered to render an accounting of its infringing activity since August 18, 2002 and must pay Honeywell for past and future damages as well as Honeywell's costs for bringing the lawsuit.