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Belkin Wins Appeal Against ACCO; Patent Infringement Ruling is Reversed
Federal Circuit overturns 2004 district court ruling stating ACCO Brands lacked substantial evidence to support their infringement claim against Belkin’s Key Lock
(Northants, UK) - 06 September 2007 – Belkin International, Inc., the global leader in connectivity solutions, announces that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington D.C. reversed a May 2004 finding of infringement by Belkin with respect to a laptop computer lock patent held by Kensington, a division of ACCO Brands, Inc
Belkin appealed the 2004 decision by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas to the Federal Circuit, arguing that the jury’s findings of induced infringement and willful infringement are not supported by substantial evidence. Further, Belkin contended that the jury award of damages is unsupported by substantial evidence and that the district court abused its discretion by awarding Kensington enhanced damages and attorney fees.
In a unanimous decision made on September 12, 2007, the Federal Circuit agreed with Belkin on each of these points, stating “ACCO failed to prove the threshold requirement of direct infringement” and “failed to point to specific instances of direct infringement.” Therefore, the Federal Circuit reversed the district court’s judgment of induced infringement, and vacated the district court’s judgment with respect to willfulness, enhanced damages, and attorney fees against Belkin.
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Mark Reynoso, President for Belkin International, Inc.:
About Belkin
Belkin offers a diverse product mix that provides people with seamless electronics integration in their homes, cars, and on the go. Founded in California in 1983, Belkin is a privately held company and the recognized leader in connectivity solutions, in addition to accessories for iPod® devices, computers, and more. We provide extensive solutions for networking, home cinema—with our PureAV® line of cables, power, and digital accessories and interconnects —and many more categories. Full product details are available from www.belkin.co.uk and www.pureAV.com
Belkin’s phenomenal growth has led to our expanding global presence. In addition to corporate headquarters in Los Angeles, the European head office and distribution centre occupies 300,000 sq feet in Rushden, Northants, UK and further offices are located in the Netherlands, and Germany, France, Spain, Italy and in the Asia Pacific region, including Australia, Shanghai, and our regional headquarters in Hong Kong.