L.A. jury awards $15.4 million in punitive damages against Pentel

Last month we had two eight-figure punitive damages in California (see our posts here and here).  Now we have another one.   According to this story in Rafu Shimpo, a jury in Los Angeles has awarded $32.8 million in damages – – including $17.5 million in punitive damages – – in a dispute over the development of a $2 pen.  The plaintiff alleged that Pentel of America and its Tokyo-based parent company maliciously stole the concept of the HyperG, a smooth-writing gel pen.