Patent Law

Retractable

By Gary Odom and Jordan Kuhn

6,733,328 has been treated like a commodity. It was originally assigned to Ultra Products, then transferred to Taiwan-based Transpower Technology. Transpower made Retractable Technologies LLC exclusive licensee, capable of enforcing the patent; although Dallas-based Data Drive claims to be exclusive licensee, but that Retractable could license the patent with permission. Retractable cracked the whip in Wyoming Tuesday, against Belkin, RadioShack, Fry's Electronics, Targus, and others.

'328 claims a cable winder for a USB cable.

The Wyoming complaint alleges willful infringement, having notified all the defendants beforehand. What's more, according to the complaint, there was no enablement problem: "Inspection of the infringing products reveals a mold pattern used to manufacture the infringing products that appears to be copied directly from a drawing contained in the '328 patent."

Retractable Technologies LLC is based in Wyoming. Retractable Technologies Inc., a safety syringe maker, is a different company, and has its own patent case going on. Everybody's doing it.

Full post as published by The Patent Prospector on February 22, 2008 (boomark / email).