TEXTILES.ORG
Lawsuit cites infringement of geogrid patent
Atlanta-based Tensar International has filed a patent infringement lawsuit in Canada against Enviro-Pro Geosynthetics Ltd., a reseller of geogrid manufactured in China by Taian Modern Plastic Co. Ltd. (TMP), according to a Tensar press release issued Oct. 7.
The Canada lawsuit is pending in Federal Court in Ottawa, Ontario -the national trial court in the Canadian capital.
The Oct. 7 announcement follows a similar action initiated by Tensar in Germany last week where papers were served on TMP by the local court in Berlin on behalf of the District Court in Düsseldorf where Tensar has filed a patent infringement action against TMP.
The Oct. 7 press release noted that “Tensar has a reputation for rigorous defense of its patents.”
“We have a proven track record over several decades for investing heavily in innovation to develop a technical lead in the market and advance the geosynthetics industry,” said Don Meltzer, Tensar CEO. “Our geogrid patents cover a wide range of multi-axial geogrid products, the methods for manufacturing such products, and various uses for these products. We will rigorously protect our patents around the world against those that we believe are wrongful imitators or are knowingly selling or using infringing products. Patents exist to protect and encourage investment in innovation. For this reason, it is in all of our interests to respect the patent law,” Meltzer said.
“We have taken this legal measure in order to enforce our Canada-issued patent for TriAx geogrid,” said Tim Oliver, Tensar vice president for product management and technology. “We accuse Enviro-Pro of selling certain products manufactured by TMP in China, sometimes referred to as ‘trigrid’ or ‘quaxial’ geogrid, which have aperture shapes and characteristics that infringe our patent relating to multi-axial geogrids.”