A US federal appeals court Thursday overturned a ruling that ordered South Korea’s Kolon Industries to pay $920 million to rival US chemical giant DuPont for alleged theft of trade secrets.

In September 2011, a jury found Kolon had stolen DuPont’s trade secrets on the manufacture of Kevlar aramid fiber and ordered the company to pay damages and interest.

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But the Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, found that the district court had “abused its discretion, to Kolon’s prejudice” and granted Kolon a new trial, according to a court document seen by AFP.

Kevlar is used in a number of products, including tires, fiber optic cables and spacesuits.

[Image via Agence France-Presse]