Strix, a UK manufacturer of controls for electric kettles, has been awarded RMB9.1 million (US$1.3 million) in damages against two Chinese manufacturers in a landmark patent infringement case. Beijing No.1 Intermediate People’s Court ordered Zhejiang Jiatai Electrical Appliance to pay RMB7.1 million, and Leqing Fada Electrical Appliance to pay RMB2 million, for producing and selling electric kettle controls based on a patent held by Strix. The two companies were ordered to stop producing and selling the controls. The case was notable for the sheer size of the damages awarded. The court also ordered two kettle manufacturers, Zhongshan WeiLing Electrical Appliance and Zhongshan Shunlong Electrical Appliance, to pay damages and to stop the production and sale of two models of electric kettle containing the controls.
Strix is based in the Isle of Man and operates a factory in Guangzhou. The company claims that it has manufactured over one billion controls, that it holds 475 patents, and that one in five people across the world use its products. Paul Hussey, CEO of Strix, said in a statement released in February that the ruling was a victory for intellectual property protection in China and highlighted the “the importance the Chinese judiciary places on protecting intellectual property rights of companies no matter where they are based”.
