May 14, 2018 – Arlington Industries reports that the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) rejected Bridgeport’s attempt on May 8 to challenge one of its patents on duplex connectors.

“This is particularly satisfying because Bridgeport filed this petition at the [U.S. Patent & Trademark Office] just days after the parties issued a joint press release announcing the settlement of all pending litigation, including Bridgeport’s payment of $1.37-million judgment against its Duplex Whipper-Snap connectors,” said Tom Stark, president of Arlington Industries.

According to Arlington, Bridgeport filed an 80-page petition for Post-Grant Review seeking to challenge the validity of Arlington’s patent on nine separate grounds, and submitted declarations from its VP of Manufacturing & Engineering, as well as a consultant. Arlington provided a written response explaining why Bridgeport’s challenge should be denied.

In its decision, Arlington says the patent office rejected Bridgeport’s arguments, holding that the company could not demonstrate that any claims of the Arlington’s patent should be invalidated.

READ ALSO Arlington and Bridgeport settle all pending litigation (October 2017).

To date, Arlington says Bridgeport has been found to infringe its Snap-Tite and Snap2It connector patents in three cases, including one decision holding Bridgeport in contempt for violating a court-ordered injunction. Bridgeport has thus far paid $12 million for violations of Snap-Tite and Snap2It patents, added Arlington.