Syosset, New York
Thomas & Betts’ Snap-N-Seal® One-Piece Drop Connector, widely used in CATV applications, does not infringe on a competitor’s patents. So ruled a federal judge in Miami, Florida on March 12, 2002.
John Mezzalingua Associates, Inc. (“PPC”) filed suit against Thomas & Betts Corporation (“T&B”), claiming that T&B infringed two of PPC’s patents. T&B, represented by Hoffmann & Baron, LLP, filed an early Motion for Summary Judgment of Non-Infringement, a request that the court enter judgment without the need for trial. Following an oral hearing in January, the Court granted T&B’s motion that its Snap-N-Seal One-Piece Drop Connector does not infringe either of PPC’s patents. Charles R. Hoffmann, Salvatore J. Abbruzzese, and Glenn T Henneberger, partners at Hoffmann & Baron, LLP, in conjunction with T&B in-house counsel, represented T&B before the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida.
Thomas & Betts, the inventor of user-friendly compression connectors, has long been a leading manufacturer of innovative, highly reliable products that lower the cost of installation for the cable industry. Its Snap-N-Seal One-Piece Drop Connector is the newest addition to the Snap-N-Seal® System. The Snap-N-Seal One-Piece Connector features a color-coded, pre-positioned plastic compression sleeve inside the connector body. This sleeve can be manually detached from the connector body “rather easily and repeatedly at any time,” facilitating difficult installations. The key evidence that resulted in T&B winning this case is its product’s detachability feature, a feature not found in PPC’s patents. To the contrary, PPC’s patent claims required that the components of the connector be “inseparably coupled.” That is, once the connector body and sleeve are assembled, they can not be detached.
Accordingly, on March 12, 2002, the Court dismissed PPC’s claims of infringement against T&B. Currently, the Court is considering T&B’s counterclaims and request for sanctions against PPC.
About Hoffmann & Baron, LLP
Hoffmann & Baron, LLP is a leading full-service intellectual property law firm which specializes in all aspects of patent, trademark, unfair competition, copyright, and international trade law. The firm’s practice includes prosecution, counseling, licensing, and litigation of patent, trademark, and copyright-related issues worldwide. Based in Syosset, New York with offices in Parsippany, New Jersey, Hoffmann & Baron, LLP provides national and international clients with a distinguished level of service due to the strong legal experience, technical and academic credentials of the partners and associates. The firm serves clients in a wide range of fields, including chemical, electrical, mechanical, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical, petroleum processing, electro-mechanical, consumer products, waste disposal and treatment, nuclear, computer, superconductivity, optics, lasers, and e-commerce. For additional information about the firm, visit www.hoffmannbaron.com.
About Thomas & Betts Corporation
Thomas & Betts Corporation (NYSE: TNB) is a leading designer and manufacturer of connectors and components for worldwide electrical, communications, and utility markets. The company also manufactures industrial heating units and steel structures used in a variety of applications. For the year 2001, Thomas & Betts reported revenues of $1.5 billion. With headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, the company has manufacturing, distribution, and office facilities worldwide. For additional information about Thomas & Betts, visit www.tnb.com.
Snap-N-Seal is a registered trademark of Thomas & Betts Corporation.
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