The District Court of The Hague orders Chinese supplier Shanghai Port Star to cease the sale and distribution of link chains made from HMPE, issuing a penalty of €10,000 per day that the infringement continues.
GELEEN, NETHERLANDS – September 14, 2026 – Dyneema®, owned by Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT), an innovator of materials solutions, announces that the District Court of The Hague has ordered Chinese supplier Shanghai Port Star to immediately stop selling link chains made from high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE) fiber in the European Union (EU).
On August 28, 2026, the preliminary relief judge ruled that Port Star is infringing on Avient’s EU design rights and must therefore cease this infringement across the EU. Should it continue to offer the infringing chains, Port Star will be required to pay a penalty of €10,000 per day. Port Star must also provide information about its EU sales and reimburse Avient for the legal costs incurred.
Dyneema® is an Avient brand and is the manufacturer and supplier of Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™. Dyneema® fiber is used to manufacture high-quality synthetic fiber link chains for marine and industrial applications. These chains are far stronger than steel chains yet much lighter, making them safer and easier to handle. This innovation has modernized the maritime industry, particularly in loading, unloading, and lashing.
These synthetic chains are marketed under license from Avient by Van Beest (“Tycan”), Murtra (“Murlink”), and Dolezych (“DoNova”). Port Star replicated these chains and marketed competing products of its own. However, these imitations are not made from Dyneema® fibers, but rather from polyethylene fibers manufactured in China. Avient welcomes the District Court of The Hague’s ruling and will continue to robustly defend its intellectual property (IP) and design rights.
Pieter Lemstra, Global Business Director, Marine & Industrial Fibers at Dyneema®, Avient, said: “This judgment marks an important victory in the fight against imitations of Avient’s products. For decades, we have invested heavily in innovation and technological development. We are frequently confronted with third parties that copy our products without undertaking any of the research and development efforts that made these innovations possible. We are pleased that the court has put a stop to these activities.”
Avient is currently also considering potential further actions against other parties involved in the marketing, sale, and/or use of Port Star’s and/or similar infringing products.