Duracell, the battery company owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, is facing a lawsuit from German chemical giant BASF over alleged misappropriation of battery technology.
According to industry sources on April 10, BASF filed a complaint on April 1 with the U.S. District Court in Delaware, accusing Duracell of illegally using its proprietary battery manufacturing process. The lawsuit claims that Duracell obtained BASF’s high-performance cathode material production technology and shared it with third parties without authorization.
BASF also alleges that Duracell falsely promoted the process as its own development and prepared to manufacture the technology independently, resulting in damages to BASF.
The case will be presided over by Judge Gregory B. Williams at the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The lawsuit is being pursued under the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016, which allows victims of trade secret theft to bring civil actions in federal court.
Industry observers are closely watching whether Berkshire Hathaway, led by Warren Buffett, will step in to manage the fallout. Berkshire acquired Duracell from Procter & Gamble in 2014 in a deal valued at $30 billion. Buffett even appeared in Duracell advertisements following the acquisition, drawing public attention.
