Nippon Steel Seeks Injunction Against Toyota in Patent Suit (1)

Nippon Steel Corp. is seeking an injunction against Toyota Motor Corp. to prevent the automaker from manufacturing and selling electric and hybrid vehicles that use a type of steel critical for the performance of motors.

The Japanese steelmaker is alleging an infringement of its patent relating to electrical steel sheets, seeking damages of around 20 billion yen ($177 million), according to a statement Thursday.

Electrical steel sheets are a type of high-grade steel with enhanced magnetic properties that help to limit energy loss. They’re widely used as “iron cores” for electric generators in power plants, electrical products, cars and ...