EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Unocal Corp. has added Valero Corp. to the group of refiners from which it is seeking damages for producing gasoline using Unocal's patents without a license agreement.
Unocal said its Union Oil Co. of California unit was seeking damages from Valero, which it says has refused to discuss a license agreement, for willful infringement of its 393 and 126 patents. Included in the suit are refineries owned by Ultramar Diamomd Shamrock, which Valero bought last year.
Unocal said it seeking damages triple the 5.75 cent-per-gallon rate imposed in earlier cases and is seeking a mandatory license for court-ordered periodic royalty payments for future infringement.
In 1995, six companies with large oil refining operations sued Unocal, challenging the validity of the 393 patent, and lost. Unocal was awarded over $69 million for the infringement, which covered about 29 percent of the gasoline made by the six companies from March 1, 1996 to July 31, 1996. Unocal said it is seeking additional payments
