SUFFERN, N.Y., December 10, 2002 -- General Patent Corporation (GPC), a leading patent licensing and enforcement firm, has scored another victory in its campaign to enforce a portfolio of four "smart connector" patents owned by its client, Acticon Technologies LLC (Acticon). GPC announced today that Acticon has prevailed in its patent infringement lawsuit with EXP Computer, Inc. of Hicksville, NY (EXP). Acticon filed suit against EXP in May of 2001 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York alleging that the EXP PC Card modems, network adapters and combo cards infringed Acticon's portfolio of four "smart connector" patents. The Court entered judgment that the four patents are valid, enforceable and infringed.
Acticon's "smart connector" patents cover specific aspects of PC cards, CompactFlash cards and other "smart connector" devices used in mobile computer communication, networking, instrumentation control, industrial automation and automotive electronics. Since 1996, General Patent Corporation has been managing a patent licensing and enforcement campaign on behalf of Acticon Technologies. As a result of this campaign, 54 companies, which market more than 90% of the PC cards sold in the United States today, are now licensed under the Acticon patents.
"This is an important victory for Acticon Technologies," said Paul Lerner, Sr. Vice President and General Counsel of Acticon's parent, GPC. "We can only hope that other companies will realize the overwhelming acceptance of Acticon's 'smart connector' technology by the industry and will not waste their and our money on futile litigation."