Case Name: Commercial Imports & Assembly, Inc. v. Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
Docket Number: 2:11-cv-10547-DML-RSW
Date Filed: 2/1/2011
Judge: Hon. David M. Lawson
Status: Closed

On February 1, 2011, Plaintiff Commercial Imports & Assembly, Inc. filed suit against Defendant Illinois Tool Works, Inc., alleging infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 7,435,031 and 6,857,809 that generally relate to articulating fastener assemblies used for securing the decorative interior panels of cars to the sheet metal of car cabs.

Plaintiff argued that Defendant made, sold, used, and offered to sell articulated fastener assemblies covered by the Plaintiff’s patents. Defendant counterclaimed that the fastener assemblies failed to meet conditions for patentability and that the patents at issue were unenforceable because the original patentee failed to disclose material information to the USPTO during prosecution of the patents, which Defendant alleged could be shown in discovery. On December 27, 2012, the parties agreed to mediation, leading to the case’s dismissal on February 6, 2013 pursuant to the mediator’s decision.