PHOENIX (Feb. 2, 2016) — Tire Service Equipment Manufacturing Co. Inc./Saf-Tee Siping & Grooving Inc. (TSISSG) has won a consent judgment and injunction in its patent infringement lawsuit against Gaither Tool Co. Inc.
U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota ruled that Gaither's U.S. Bead Bazooka line of tire bead seaters infringes on TSISSG's U.S. Patent 6,179,033, which covers TSISSG's Cheetah Cannon product.
TSISSG's Cheetah Cannon CH12
The court entered a permanent injunction Jan. 26 enjoining Gaither from “directly or indirectly making, using, selling, offering for sale or importing or causing or inducing others to make, use, sell, offer to sell, or import” all of Gaither's Bead Bazooka products in the U.S.
The injunction does not apply to distributors, customers or end-users that received and paid for one of the disputed products prior to Jan. 22, the judge said.
Gaither declined to make a comment on the court decision.
TSISSG filed the lawsuit in 2013 claiming the Bead Bazooka tire bead seater products — including model numbers BB6L, BB9L and BB12L and the “red trigger guard” model — infringed on its patented design of a push-button, automated discharge bead seater.
Gaither Tool Co. Inc.'s Bead Bazooka is still promoted on the company's website, with the caveat that it is “not for sale in the U.S.A. or Canada.”
On its website, Jacksonville, Ill.-based Gaither, which makes tire and wheel service tools for the North American and European markets, said the Bead Bazooka was not available for sale in the U.S. and Canada.
“We are pleased that we have again successfully enforced our valuable patent rights and maintained our position as the most innovative tire bead seater supplier in the United States,” said Randy Kindel, TSISSG's vice president of sales.
“Our technological advantage began with our patented CH-O5 Cheetah line of tire bead seaters and now continues with our Cheetah Cannon tire bead seaters, and will continue with even newer innovations.”
Phoenix-based TSISSG manufactures tools and equipment for the tire service industry at its plant in Monticello, Minn.
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