Indiana Intellectual Property Law News
Elkhart, Indiana – Indiana patent lawyers for LTI Holdings, Inc. of Modesto, California (“LTI”) filed a patent-infringement complaint in the Northern District of Indiana alleging that Lippert Components, Inc. of Elkhart, Indiana (“Lippert”) infringed Patent Nos. 6,966,590 for a “Two-Part Seal for a Slide-Out Room,” 7,614,676 for a “Resilient Seal for Mobile Living Quarters,” and 7,614,677 for a “Seal Assembly for Mobile Living Quarters.” These patents have been issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Indiana-based Lippert, a subsidiary of Drew Industries, is a large supplier serving the recreational vehicle, manufactured housing, trailer, and bus industries. It offers a line of products dedicated to improving the mobile lifestyle.
Three patents – Patent Nos. 6,966,590 (“the ‘590 patent”), 7,614,676 (“the ‘676 patent”) and 7,614,677 (“the ‘677 patent”) – are at issue in this federal intellectual property lawsuit. Defendant Lippert has been accused of making, offering for sale and/or selling products that infringe upon one or more of these patents. Some of these activities purportedly occurred on two or more recreational vehicles manufactured by facilities in Indiana.
The first accused product is a two-part seal that allegedly infringes one or more claims of the ‘590 patent. The second and third accused products, both “Slide Armor” seals, purportedly infringe as many as all of the patents-in-suit.
A cease-and-desist letter was sent to Jason Lippert, the CEO of Defendant, in March 2015. Plaintiff contends that, despite this letter and the communications that followed, Defendant’s manufacture, offer for sale, and sale of each of the accused products has continued.
In this Indiana complaint, patent attorneys for LTI assert the following claims:
• Count 1: Direct Infringement of the ‘590 Patent
• Count 2: Direct Infringement of the ‘676 Patent
• Count 3: Direct Infringement of the ‘677 Patent
• Count 4: Induced Infringement of the ‘590 Patent• Count 5: Contributory Infringement of the ‘590 Patent
Plaintiff asks the court to enter a judgment:
a) declaring the ‘590 patent is directly infringed by Defendant;
b) declaring the Defendant induced infringement of the ‘590 patent;
c) declaring the Defendant has contributorily infringed the ‘590 patent;
d) declaring Defendant’s infringement of the ‘590 patent has been willful;
e) declaring Defendant be preliminarily and permanently enjoined from manufacturing, using, selling, and offering to sell the infringing products in the United States prior to the expiration of the ‘590 patent;
f) awarding damages adequate to compensate Plaintiff for Defendant’s infringement of the ‘590 patent including lost profits, but in an amount no less than a reasonable royalty, and that such damages be trebled according to 35 U.S.C. § 284;
g) declaring the ‘676 patent is directly infringed by Defendant;
h) declaring Defendant’s infringement of the ‘676 patent has been willful;
i) declaring Defendant be preliminarily and permanently enjoined from manufacturing, using, selling and offering to sell the infringing products in the United States prior to the expiration of the ‘676 patent;
j) awarding damages adequate to compensate Plaintiff for Defendant’s infringement of the ‘676 patent including lost profits, but in an amount no less than a reasonable royalty, and that such damages be trebled according to 35 U.S.C. § 284;
k) declaring the ‘677 patent is directly infringed by Defendant;
l) declaring Defendant’s infringement of the ‘677 patent has been willful;
m) declaring Defendant be preliminarily and permanently enjoined from manufacturing, using, selling, and offering to sell the infringing products in the United States prior to the expiration of the ‘677 patent;
n) awarding damages adequate to compensate Plaintiff for Defendant’s infringement of the ‘677 patent including lost profits, but in an amount no less than a reasonable royalty, and that such damages be trebled according to 35 U.S.C. § 284; ando) awarding all costs and expenses of this action, including reasonable attorneys’ fees.
The case was assigned to Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen and Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein in the Northern District of Indiana and assigned Case No. 3:15-cv-00232-JVB-CAN.