Copyright suit filed against Fortis Healthcare, others in US; seeks damages in excess of $6.5 billion

NEW DELHI: Fortis Healthcare on Monday said a US-based entity has filed a suit against it and various others, including IHH Healthcare Berhad, for alleged "copyright infringement and tortious interference with contracts", seeking damages in excess of $6.5 billion.

Emqore Envesecure, a trust settled under the laws of Wyoming, has filed a suit against 28 named defendants and 21 non-party defendants, including Fortis Healthcare Ltd and IHH Healthcare Berhad before the US District Court, District of New Jersey, USA, the healthcare major said in a regulatory filing.

The complaint has been filed for the alleged violation of the US Racketeer, Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, copyright infringement, tortious interference with contracts, etc and has claimed damages in excess of $6.5 billion against all the defendants, it added.

FHL, however, said the complaint has not yet been served on it under the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters (Hague Service Convention) -- a multilateral treaty that provides litigants the efficient means of serving documents on parties living, operating or based in another country.

"Fortis believes that it has strong grounds in its favour for dismissal of the allegations against it in the complaint and in view of the same, at this juncture, the complaint is not expected to have any financial or operational implications on the company," it noted.

If and when the complaint will be served on the healthcare major in accordance with the applicable laws, convention, it will take necessary legal actions for seeking dismissal of the complaint under the relevant provisions of law, it added.

IHH Healthcare Berhad had acquired a 31.1 per cent stake in Fortis Healthcare in November 2018.