IPC Patent Attorney, Stephen Kepper, successfully assisted Edge-Works Manufacturing Company in obtaining a patent (US Pat. No. 10,624,442) covering a unique adjustable holder that can accommodate and securely retain flashlights (and other similar objects) of variable sizes.
An IPC client since 2013, Edge-Works is located in Burgaw, NC and is part of the tactical gear and tactical equipment industry. Edge-Works uses high-tech CAD/CAM processes to develop highly efficient and unique methods of manufacturing. These methods yield a high level of precision and repeatability in production with unique, patent pending features. If you have questions about patents, contact our professionals at (504) 322-7166 for more information on how IPC can help. IPC recently represented its client, Edge-Works Manufacturing Company, in three separate lawsuits against all against one of its competitors, HSG, LLC. All of the lawsuits were filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina and dealt with issues of breach of contract, federal false advertising claims, and patent infringement arising out of the manufacture and sale of ammunition magazine carriers. In the breach of contract suit, HSG alleged Edge-Works breached a prior settlement agreement by selling its unique softshell scorpion carriers. That case was resolved on summary judgment and IPC was able to obtain an attorneys’ fee award of $56,876 for Edge-Works. In the false advertising suit, HSG alleged that Edge-Works falsely advertised the material used for its Softshell Scorpion carrier. IPC successfully had those claims dismissed at the earliest stages of litigation; however, HSG appealed that ruling to the Fourth Circuit. As to the patent infringement lawsuit, Edge-Works claimed HSG’s Polymer Taco products, Kydex Handcuff Taco and Kydex Tourniquet Taco infringed Edge-Works’ patents bearing U.S. Pat. No. 9,795,210 and 9,668,568, covering variable compression magazine carriers. The parties recently reached a global settlement resolving all of these disputes. Although the specific terms of the settlement are confidential, IPC was pleased that it could assist Edge-Works in bringing a global resolution to all these disputes that Edge-Works found to be favorable. IPC attorneys, Stephen Kepper and Greg Latham, were lead counsel for Edge-Works in all these matters. IPC has served as Edge-Works’ counsel for over seven years, and during that time, has helped Edge-Works develop, defend, and monetize a portfolio of issued patents and federally registered trademarks. If you have questions about intellectual property rights, including patent or trademark related issues, contact us at (504) 322-7166 for more information on how our professionals can help. IPC client NOLA Living Realty recently settled its federal trademark infringement lawsuit against Uptown NOLA Living. NOLA Living Realty filed the lawsuit alleging that Uptown had adopted a confusingly similar business name in bad faith in order to trade-off of the goodwill and reputation of NOLA Living Realty.
The matter was set for a federal jury trial, but a settlement was reached prior to trial. The terms of the settlement require Uptown to change its business name and to pay a significant cash payment to NOLA Living Realty for damages. IPC was pleased to have the opportunity to represent NOLA Living Realty, one of the fastest growing real estate brokerages serving the greater New Orleans area. If you have questions about trademark issues, contact our professionals at 504-322-7166. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision today that has serious implications for trademark brand owners, as well as those accused of trademark infringement. In the case of Romag Fasteners, Inc. v. Fossil Group, Inc., fka Fossil, Inc., et. al., the Supreme Court held that a plaintiff in a trademark infringement suit is not required to show that a defendant willfully infringed the plaintiff’s trademark as a precondition to a profits award. This decision changes the law in several federal Circuits and drastically raises the stakes in any suit involving claims of trademark infringement. If you have questions about intellectual property rights or trademark issues, contact our IPC professionals at (504) 322-7166 for more information on how we can help. IPC attorney Ian Barras successfully assisted client, Lucas Steele, with obtaining US Patent No 10,557,644 on his adjustable drip pan, or water-impermeable basin for collecting water, designed to be installed into hard-to-access spaces. Steele, of LJ Steele Air Conditioning & Heat LLC, through his years of experience in A/C installation and repair, recognized a need to be able to retrofit or replace a water catching device for centralized air conditioning units into awkward or hard to reach places. Centralized air conditioning units contain condenser coils, which can cause water vapor to condense and drip. Most units address this problem by use of some form of a drip pan, which can be connected to a drain, or use float switches to detect the presence of water. However, certain types of centralized air conditioning units, in particular, vertically-oriented evaporator units, are installed in homes in such a fashion that replacing or otherwise servicing the drip pan can be very difficult. Steele’s invention of an adjustable drip pan with an integrated float switch designed to retrofit under awkwardly placed central air conditioning units is a remarkable achievement in his industry, and we are happy to celebrate this accomplishment with him. IPC routinely assists clients with obtaining patents for their inventions. If you are interested in learning more about obtaining patent protection for an invention, call our professionals at (504) 322-7126. |