American Axle Wins $4 Million in Drive-Train Patent Jury Trial

Wanxiang Group Corp.'s Neapco Holdings LLC must pay American Axle & Manufacturing Inc. $4 million in royalties after a federal jury in Delaware found Neapco’s propshafts used in vehicle drive trains infringe an American Axle patent.

The verdict, issued Tuesday after a three-day trial in the US District Court for the District of Delaware, marks the latest development in a case that was launched more than eight years ago and has played a role in the ongoing debate over what inventions should be eligible for patent protection under US law.

Neapco’s methods for manufacturing propshafts with diameters of 4.5, ...