Arcelor sues Mittal for patent violation

Arcelor has filed the suit for patent infringement on its Usibor technology, Luxembourg-based spokesman Luc Scheer said on Thursday.

Arcelor, the target of a 22.8 billion-euro ($29 billion) bid from Mittal Steel, said it has started legal action in the US against its larger rival over car-steel technology.

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Arcelor filed the suit for patent infringement on its Usibor technology, used in high-strength steel for auto-body panels, Luxembourg-based spokesman Luc Scheer said on Thursday.

"This way of defending our patent rights is not related to the Mittal bid situation," Scheer said.

Arcelor's decision to begin legal action was reported earlier by the Luxembourg press.