Articles Posted in INND News

Missouri-based company, Precision Planter Solutions, LLC, has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Northern Indiana against Solid Rock AG Solutions, Inc., accusing the company of patent infringement. According to the complaint, Precision Planter owns a patent—U.S. Patent No. 12,274,187—that describes a method and apparatus aimed at extending the service life of agricultural planters by addressing wear and tear in pivoting support arms. The patented technology seeks to solve problems caused by constant motion over uneven farmland, which can lead to equipment damage and costly repairs.

Precision Planter alleges that Solid Rock is making, using, selling, and offering to sell products that unlawfully use the technology covered by this patent. The complaint specifically points to Solid Rock’s parallel arm rebuilding and exchange systems, sold and promoted through its websites, which Precision Planter says match each part of its patented design. Images and descriptions from the websites are cited to support these claims, including the use of metallic collars and bushings that fit the specifications outlined in the patent.

The lawsuit claims that Solid Rock’s actions violate federal patent law and that the infringement is ongoing and willful. Precision Planter argues that this has caused financial damage, loss of market share, and harm to its reputation, and that these harms will continue unless the court intervenes.

Fort Wayne, Indiana – Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company has filed a lawsuit seeking a declaratory judgment against Aloft Media, LLC, George Street Partners, Todd Schmidt, and George Andrew Gordon. The case centers on a patent dispute over U.S. Patent No. 10,372,793, which Brotherhood says is being wrongly used to demand a licensing payment.

According to the complaint, Aloft Media claims that Brotherhood’s website infringes on this patent, which covers a method involving drop-down menus on a web page. Brotherhood argues the patent is invalid and unenforceable and claims it does not infringe on any part of it. Brotherhood also says that the technology described in the patent is not new or inventive and would not meet modern patent standards, especially following the Supreme Court’s 2016 Alice decision, which raised the bar for patenting abstract ideas implemented on computers.

Brotherhood is asking the court to declare that its website does not infringe the patent, that the patent itself is invalid, and that it cannot be enforced due to inequitable conduct—alleging that key information was intentionally withheld during the patent’s approval process. The complaint outlines what Brotherhood claims were misrepresentations or omissions in the history of the patent application, Aloft’s record of filing at least 14 patent infringement lawsuits in Texas, and a complex web of related entities that frequently file similar patent lawsuits.

Elkhart, Indiana – MORryde International, Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Airxcel, Inc., doing business as Suburban, claiming patent infringement. The case centers around three patents (US Patent Nos. 9,903,121, 10,519,671, and 11,739,534), allegedly owned by MORryde, that relate to folding staircases for vehicles like RVs and trailers. These patents—supposedly issued in 2018, 2019, and 2023—cover features such as spring-assisted folding and adjustable legs designed to improve safety and ease of use when entering and exiting a vehicle.

MORryde;s ‘671 Patent

MORryde contends that Suburban’s products, specifically the Stow Away Steps and the Lift Assist Step, unlawfully use the technology protected under MORryde’s patents. According to the complaint, these Suburban products are designed in a way that mimics MORryde’s patented features, including folding mechanisms and mounting systems similar to those described in the patent documents. MORryde claims it first raised conc