“This is the biggest amount by far granted in an intellectual property case in China,” said Larry Sussman, administrative partner of law firm O’Melveny & Myers’ Beijing office. “It’s a startling development and could mean we are embarking on a new path in China.”

The court told France’s Schneider Electric to stop making five types of miniature circuit-breakers, which it ruled were based on patents held by low-voltage equipment-maker Chint Group of Wenzhou.

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Schneider Electric, which intends to appeal, says it has been using the technology in the disputed circuit-breakers years before Chint’s patent applications in 1999.

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