Ningbo Signatronic Technologies, ALL-TAG, and Best Security Announce Resolution of U.S. Patent Infringement Litigation

NINGBO, China, Aug. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Ningbo Signatronic Technologies, LLC, ALL-TAG Security, Best Security Industries, and Signatronic Corporation (herein together Ningbo), announce a resolution of pending litigation involving U.S. Patent Nos. 5,729,200 ('200 patent) and 6,181,245 ('245 patent). 

In December 2013, Tyco (NYSE: TYC) filed actions against Ningbo in both the International Trade Commission (ITC) and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to prohibit the importation into the United States of certain Ningbo acousto-magnetic (AM) electronic article surveillance systems (EAS) labels. 

Under a settlement agreement resolving both the ITC and District Court actions, the parties have agreed that Ningbo will withdraw from the United States the following EAS label models:  T3, K3, H3, T2, K2, H2, RK2, OY, AQ, GPL(2), GPL(3), RL and RH2, until the '200 and '245 Patents expire on August 28, 2016.  Ningbo will not withdraw the following EAS label models from the United States:  T3M, K3M, H3M, T2M, K2M, H2M, NTL, NKL, NHL, RK2M and RH2M.  Ningbo also will not withdraw hard tags (NST model labels SPHT and MHT, SPLB, SPLK) in which the bias cannot be demagnetized or "dummy tags" (NST model labels KN and RKN) that contain no bias.  The settlement agreement does not constitute a license from Tyco for these labels and tags.  The parties, however, do not anticipate a further claim for infringement of Tyco's '200 and '245 patents based on the current design of these labels and tags.  All other terms of the settlement are confidential. 

Consent agreements memorializing the agreement will be filed in both the ITC and District Court actions, and both actions will be terminated.  All other terms of the settlement are confidential.

"We are pleased with the outcome of this U.S. patent infringement litigation," said Dr Lin Li, Ningbo Signatronic's General Manager.  "Ningbo Signatronic has always denied infringing the Sensormatic patents, and a resolution of this matter by settlement, rather than trial, puts the cost and uncertainty of litigation behind us."

SOURCE ALL-TAG Security Americas, Inc.