Court orders refiners to account for Unocal patent infringement

Oct. 10, 2001
A US District Court in Los Angeles has granted Unocal Corp.'s request for an accounting of infringement on its reformulated gasoline patent by five refiners.

By the OGJ Online Staff

HOUSTON, Oct. 10 -- A US District Court in Los Angeles has granted Unocal Corp.'s request for an accounting of infringement on its reformulated gasoline patent by five refiners.

Unocal had filed a motion for summary judgement requesting an accounting of infringement of its patent between Aug. 1, 1996, and Dec. 31, 2000, and damages of 5.75¢/gal.

The court did not make findings of the specific amount owed Unocal in its order. Unocal said it expects a more detailed order, including specific damages, in the coming weeks.

The court denied the defendant refiners' motions to stay the proceedings and vacate the accounting order.

ARCO Corp., Chevron Corp., ExxonMobil Corp., Shell Oil Co., and Texaco Inc. challenged the controversial patent in 1995. Eventually, the US Supreme Court upheld the patent ruling by refusing to hear the case (OGJ Online, Feb. 20, 2001).

A jury in 1997 awarded Unocal damages of 5.75¢/infringing gal.

Unocal said that in June 2000, it received a payment of $69 million plus accrued interest and some attorneys' fees in June 2000 for infringement from Mar. 1, 1996, to July 31, 1996, during which period, Unocal says, about 29% of RFG made by the defendants infringed on its patent.