Near TWD1 hundred million damages awarded in a local flash memory product infringement case

　Toshiba Memory Corporation (TMC) initiated a patent infringement lawsuit with Taiwan IP Court against four Taiwan-based companies.  The four companies are Powerchip Technology Corporation (“Powerchip”), Zentel Electronics Corp. (“Zentel”), and Powerflash Technology Corp. (“Powerflash”) which were engaged in making, designing, or assisting in making the alleged infringing flash memory products (“products in dispute”), and also C.T.C. Co., Ltd. (“C.T.C.”) which sold the products in dispute.  On July 5, 2017, the IP Court rendered a judgment to the effect that Zentel and the other three co-defendants should jointly and severally pay to TMC TWD99,822,173 in damages and also the interest thereof at an annual rate of 5% accrued over the period from June 4, 2014 through the day when the aforesaid amount is paid in full and also a half of the litigation expenses incurred to TMC. 

　Zentel issued a press release indicating that they have been respecting IP rights and placing great importance on research and development and that they have never held the intent to infringe and never infringed upon any other’s patent right.  As such, they already filed an appeal against the aforesaid IP Court judgment with other co-defendants on July 31, 2017.  (July 2017) 
/CCS