Pass & Seymour/Legrand announced that a U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) judge ruled a number of Chinese manufacturers of ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) have violated P&S’s patent rights.
ITC
Administrative Law Judge Carl C. Charneski’s rulings followed an
evidentiary hearing that took place in June. P&S’s complaints
alleged, among other things, violations of Section 337 of the Tariff
Act of 1930 by importing into the U.S. GFCIs that infringe six P&S
patents.
The following Chinese and American companies were named in the investigation:
General Protecht Group Inc.
• Shanghai ELE Manufacturing Corp.
• Shanghai Meihao Electric Inc.
• Wenzhou Trimone Science and Technology Electric Co. Ltd.
Cheetah USA Corp.
Colacino Electric Supply Inc.
The Designer’s Edge Inc.
• General Protecht Group U.S. Inc.
GX Electric
• Ingram Products Inc.
Lunar Industrial & Electrical Inc.
Nicor Inc.
• Orbit Industries Inc.
• Quality Distributing LLC
Universal Security Instruments Inc.
Protecht Group U.S., GX Electric, Ingram Products, Lunar Industrial
& Electrical, Quality Distributing and Universal Security
Instruments all settled with P&S before Judge Charneski’s rulings.)
The next
step in the ITC process is for the full commission to review
Charneski’s ruling together with any appeals, and make a final decision
by December 24. P&S has a related suit pending in U.S. District
Court for the Northern District of New York, seeking additional
damages. There, it is also pursuing infringement claims against Hubbell
Inc. for infringing patents in issue in the ITC ruling and other
patents.
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