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US court voids $920 million DuPont award in Kevlar case


    (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday threw out a $919.9 million jury verdict in favor of DuPont Co in a case over the alleged theft of trade secrets for a fiber used to make Kevlar bulletproof vests.

    The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia said the verdict against South Korea's Kolon Industries Inc <120110.KS> must be voided because the trial judge improperly excluded relevant evidence that was material to Kolon's defense.

    A Richmond jury had awarded the damages in September 2011, after DuPont had accused Kolon of deliberately stealing trade secrets and confidential information regarding its Kevlar para-aramid fiber. The fiber is also used to make tires and fiber-optic cables, in addition to body armor.

    (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, Editing by Franklin Paul)