Case Name: StoneAge, Inc. v. NLB Corporation
Docket Number: 4:11-cv-11278-MAG-MAR
Date Filed: 3/3/2011
Judge: Hon. Mark A. Goldsmith
Status: Closed
Plaintiff StoneAge filed suit on August against Defendant NLB Corporation, alleging that Defendant infringed upon U.S. Patent Nos. 7,635,096 and D617,870 (“Patents-In-Suit”). The Patents-In-Suit generally relate to a high-pressure rotary nozzle and the ornamental design for a high pressure nozzle for cleaning pipes and tubes embodied in Plaintiff’s “Banshee” products.
Specifically, Plaintiff argued that Defendant’s “Typhoon 10” line of devices, particularly the RPN 2410 and the RPN 1510, infringed upon its patents. Plaintiff also contended that since Defendant had introduced its Typhoon devices into the market in August 2009, Plaintiff’s business suffered. In particular, Plaintiff argued that Defendant’s sales representatives had been offering to sell the infringing Typhoon devices to Plaintiff’s European customers and that Plaintiff’s customers had been cancelling orders for Banshee products, opting to purchase Typhoon products instead. Defendant denied any infringement and argued that Plaintiff’s patents were invalid and unenforceable. Judge Goldsmith ordered the case dismissed on January 5, 2012 due to a settlement reached between the parties shortly before a Markman hearing scheduled for December 15, 2011.
