Milliken Obtains Injunction against Fountain Trading for Trademark Infringement

Milliken & Company today announced that the Düsseldorf (Germany) Regional Court has issued a provisional pan-European injunction against Korea’s Fountain Trading Company for infringement of Milliken’s Millad® and Millad 3988 trademarks. According to the injunction, Fountain Trading is prohibited from using the designation Millard and/or Millard 3988 for the characterization of polymer additives, and from producing, offering, advertising, selling, or marketing these goods.

Fountain Trading and its president, Mr. K. S. Choi, face a fine of up to € 250,000 or detention for up to six months for each case in contravention of the court order.

“Milliken intends to aggressively pursue this case and any other instances of property rights infringement,” said Jeff Jones, Global Plastics Additives Product Line Manager. “Because our clarifying agents lead the industry, they are a popular target for product and brand imitations. However, we have had success in prosecuting infringers and we will continue to proactively monitor industry channels to target offenders, as well as taking legal steps to obtain damages.”

Milliken has a broad portfolio of patents and trademarks covering its clarifying and nucleating agent technologies globally. “Expect to see further actions taken against those who choose to pirate our intellectual property,” added Jones. “Our patent portfolio around this technology lasts well into the future”.

Millad is a superior clarifying agent for a wide range of injection-molded (including thin-walled), extrusion and stretch blow-molded bottles, as well as extruded sheet and film polypropylene applications requiring outstanding clarity, nucleation, high heat stability, and other key performance properties.