DiverseyLever Wins Court Injunction Against Ecolab

DiverseyLever, an operating unit of Unilever, has won a court decision securing an injunction to prevent infringement against one of its patented technologies.

DiverseyLever is a global food hygiene and industrial and institutional cleaning business with customers that include restaurants, hotels, and food and beverage companies.

The injunction is against Ecolab and prevents Ecolab, and other companies in active concert or participation with it, from making, using and selling Pet-Guard IIB and PET*STAR for application on products made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate). The patent protected product is Dicolube PL, which is used for handling PET especially in the manufacture of beverage containers. Dicolube PL lubricant is used as a conveyor lubricant to prevent stress cracking when filling PET bottles.

The injunction, issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, specifically enjoins Ecolab from making, using, selling, offering for sale or importing its products for application in the United States on PET products.

The injunction states that if Ecolab sells its products for other uses, it must tell customers in writing that ``...(the product) which you have ordered is...neither approved, licensed nor intended for use on PET articles.''

Ecolab has appealed the entry of the injunction.