BASF and Argonne settle ITC and Federal District Court litigation with Makita

ISELIN, NJ, November 19, 2015 – BASF Corporation (BASF) and UChicago Argonne, LLC (Argonne) – which manages the Argonne National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy – today jointly announced the dismissal of patent infringement litigation against Makita Corporation and its affiliated companies at the International Trade Commission (ITC) and in the U.S. District Court of Delaware. 

The litigation involved the use of Argonne’s patented nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) cathode material in lithium-ion batteries. In return for dismissal of the litigation by BASF and Argonne, Makita has agreed to drop its present challenges to the validity of the Argonne patents and will respect the Argonne patents in its future NCM purchases.

ITC and Federal District Court litigation involving Umicore’s unlicensed use of Argonne’s patented NCM cathode material in lithium-ion batteries is ongoing.

“We are pleased to announce settlement of the lawsuits against Makita,” said Kenneth Lane, President of BASF’s Catalyst division, which manages the company’s global Battery Materials business.  “It is BASF’s desire to work cooperatively with Makita and other users of lithium-ion batteries who value the performance advantages that NCM cathode material technology provides.”

“Argonne National Laboratory is an innovator in energy storage — our NCM cathode technology is one among our growing number of patented advanced battery materials,” said Argonne National Laboratory Director Peter B. Littlewood. “Our greatest impact as a lab comes when our science makes a difference in the lives of consumers, and we are pleased that our energy storage discoveries have been consistently embraced by the worldwide battery industry.”

About BASF’s Catalysts Division

BASF’s Catalysts division is the world’s leading supplier of environmental and process catalysts. The group offers exceptional expertise in the development of technologies that protect the air we breathe, produce the fuels that power our world and ensure efficient production of a wide variety of chemicals, plastics and other products, including advanced battery materials. By leveraging our industry-leading R&D platforms, passion for innovation and deep knowledge of precious and base metals, BASF’s Catalysts division develops unique, proprietary solutions that drive customer success. Further information on BASF’s Catalysts division is available on the Internet at www.catalysts.basf.com.

About BASF

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 17,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20.6 billion in 2014. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of over €74 billion in 2014 and around 113,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

About Argonne National Laboratory

Argonne National Laboratory is a multidisciplinary U.S. Department of Energy science and engineering research center where world-class researchers work alongside experts from industry, academia and other government laboratories to address vital national challenges in clean energy, environment, technology and national security. The U.S.’s first national laboratory, Argonne is located in Lemont, Ill., 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Chicago. Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.  For more information, visit www.anl.gov.

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