UK based distribution company and Systemline manufacture Armour Group have at last won its long running UK legal dispute with Leisuretech Electronics Pty Ltd (“LTE”) in respect of LTE’s A-Bus patent. The High Court judgement handed down today concludes that LTE’s United Kingdom patent is invalid and must be revoked.
For many years, Armour has been in dispute with LTE, an Australian company, generally known for its A-Bus brand. The dispute related to a patent owned by LTE, which specified a particular method of sending DC power and stereo audio signals down a single CAT-5 cable in the context of a multi-room system.
Armour’s Systemline brand has been using a similar method of power and audio transmission over CAT-5 for its Systemline Modular system since the outset, albeit with significant enhancements in the form of balanced line audio and a special DC-to-DC conversion circuit, which guarantees greater energy efficiency, and consistency of performance.
Armour have always taken the view that the LTE patent as filed, lacked substance and was indeed an obvious solution using standard audio integrated circuits and industry standard CAT-5 cable, for which nobody in Armour’s view could claim a monopoly.
Despite many attempts on Armour’s part to resolve this matter out-of-court, Armour found itself in a position whereby it had no alternative but to seek to have the UK and European patent revoked in separate actions.
The UK High Court judgment handed down on 14 November 2008 ruled that LTE’s UK patent was invalid and must be revoked. This judgment completely vindicates Armour’s position and, at a hearing later this year, will most likely result in substantial costs being awarded against LTE in favour of Armour.