January 2016 Vol. 71 No. 1
Rehabilitation
LMK Hydro Hat Withstands Patent Reviews
LMK Technologies prevailed on petitions filed by BLD Services on patent claims surrounding LMK’s commercial embodiments for the Insignia Seal, specifically, claims covering the Hydro Hat remain 100% intact and valid following multiple challenges to LMK’s patent claims by BLD.
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the United State Patent and Trademark Office determined some claims of U.S. Patents were unpatenable, however those claims did not focus on the Hydro Hat sealing gasket, rather primarily describe materials and methods not practiced by LMK.
LMK remains committed to the Hydro Hat gasket due to its superior performance. The patent claims covering LMK’s Hydro Hat are still valid and enforceable, and the technology remains valuable to utility owners and their rate payers. As a result of the PTAB’s decisions, BLD cannot practice the use of the Hydro Hat sealing gasket without infringing on LMK’s patent rights. The Insignia Gasket Sealing System remains one of the most advanced, long-term watertight CIPP sealing solution on the market today.
The Hydro Hat gasket is designed and engineered specifically for sealing the shape of the juncture between two pipes, providing a positive compression seal. The molded Hydro Hat gasket consists of a 3-inch brim seated against the mainline pipe and extends up into the lateral pipe, thus forming the strong seal at the weakest and most critical location in a collection system. Gasket Sealing Technology provides a gasket seal for rehabilitated pipes just like that of a gasket found in new pipes, making CIPP a trenchless watertight alternative to new pipe.
The PTAB decision is not a final ruling, and the patent infringement lawsuit filed against BLD by LMK remains pending in the Federal District Court. 815-433-1275, www.lmktechnologies.com.
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