PRODUCT NEWS
News Releases
BUCKHORN
SETTLES TWO PATENT INFRINGEMENT SUITS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Buckhorn Inc., a leading provider of reusable plastic packaging, announces that it has
settled two separate patent infringement suits involving the company’s designs for
material handling containers. The suits were against Rehrig Pacific Company of Los
Angeles, California, and Livonia, Michigan-based TRW Automotive. Terms of both settlements
were not disclosed.
"We are very satisfied with
the substance of each settlement," said Don Thomas, general manager of Buckhorn.
"The settlement of these two cases for Buckhorn should make it clear to the plastic
products industry that Buckhorn will aggressively enforce its rights to our valuable
product innovation and exclusivity when it is necessary. We prefer to negotiate and grant
licenses for the use of our designs and intellectual properties."
Buckhorn designs and manufactures
a wide range of reusable material handling products including hand-held and bulk
containers, distribution pallets, and transport products, which help customers in the
manufacturing, distribution, and food industries improve supply chain performance and
reduce costs. Buckhorn enjoys a strong reputation for innovation in creating custom
products to satisfy customers’ unique application challenges. These new product
developments frequently result in the issuance of patents and other intellectual property,
which Buckhorn considers a competitive advantage for itself and its customers, as well as
a valuable source of revenue and brand recognition for its advancements in the material
handling industry.
In the case against Rehrig Pacific
Company, Buckhorn filed an infringement suit that centered on a previously patented design
used in the food industry. The design utilizes adjustable position metal bails that allow
users to securely stack containers at multiple levels for transporting items such as
pre-packaged cuts of meat or produce from processors to distribution centers to retailers.
The bails fold out to allow containers to nest for space-saving return shipping. Buckhorn
is recognized in the food industry for its creation of efficient container designs that
protect delicate food items, reduce shrink, and lower transport costs. Also, many of the
Buckhorn containers with the adjustable bail design are adapted for other markets, such as
parts shipping and handling in industrial manufacturing applications.
In the second case, Buckhorn,
together with a customer, brought patent litigation against TRW Automotive claiming
infringement of a jointly owned patent for the design of a container used to ship live
research animals throughout the world. The patent protects a custom-designed plastic
container, developed specifically for the customer, to protect animals from disease as
well as trauma during shipment. Thomas noted the significant acknowledgement by laboratory
researchers and acceptance within the industry of the patented product from Buckhorn and
the customer. "The container is widely acclaimed as an innovative solution to many of
the problems associated with the transport of live animals," he said.
"Our intellectual properties
create tremendous advantages for our customers and for the company," Thomas said.
"The Buckhorn commitment is to make sure customers are provided with the best
packaging systems that contribute to their productivity and profitability. We seek to do
that through 'first-of-its-kind' innovation, and we will protect those ideas."
Buckhorn, a Myers Industries, Inc.
(NYSE: MYE) company, is headquartered in Milford, Ohio, with manufacturing facilities
throughout the United States. Call Buckhorn at 1-800-543-4454, fax (513) 831-5474, or
e-mail .
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