China’s Shanghai Intellectual Property Court on February 23 ruled in favor of Valeo Vision Belgique SA (法雷奥照明比利时公司) in a patent infringement lawsuit against two Chinese companies Zhuhai Winner Auto Lamp Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (珠海市唯能车灯实业有限公司) and Shanghai Jinxi Automobile Sales Service Co., Ltd. (上海晋熙汽车销售服务有限公司).

Valeo is a French global automotive supplier founded in 1923 and headquartered in France, listed on the Paris Stock Exchange. Valeo Vision Belgique SA is its Belgium-based subsidiary founded in 2006. Valeo Vision filed an application for the patent ZL201380038365.7 related to a light beam emitting device, and a headlight, in particular for a motor vehicle, including the said device with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) in 2013, which was granted by the agency in 2018.

Valeo Vision filed a lawsuit in 2020 against Zhuhai Winner and Shanghai Jinxi with the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court accusing them of manufacturing and distributing headlights infringing Valeo Vision’s patent ZL201380038365.7, seeking 7 million yuan ($1.1 million) in damages and 350,000 yuan ($55,000) in reasonable expenses.

Zhuhai Winner filed a request with the CNIPA to invalidate the patent’s claim 1 it was accused of infringing. In April, 2021, the CNIPA affirmed that the patent was valid after patent owner Valeo Vision had amended the patent’s descriptions.

The trial court ruled for the plaintiff and ordered two defendants to pay 5 million yuan ($790,000) in damages and 350,000 yuan ($55,000) in reasonable expenses to the plaintiff.

The case docket no. is （2020）沪73知民初1372号, whose English transliteration is 1372, first instance (初), civil case (民), (2020) Shanghai Intellectual Property Court.