Chinese Court Invalidates Glaston Patents; Machinery Supplier to Take 'Further Action'

The Patent Reexamination Board in Beijing has invalidated the Glaston patents in question in the dispute between Glaston Corp.,Luoyang North Glass Technologies Co. and Luoyang Land Glass Technologies Co. According to a Glaston release, "Glaston is disappointed in the decisions and will take further actions."

In May 2012,Glaston initiated lawsuits against Luoyang North Glass Technologies Co. and Luoyang Land Glass Technologies Co., claiming certain equipment sold in mainland China by North Glass infringed on a patent owned by Glaston Group. The machinery supplier said it also had collected evidence supporting a patent infringement case against Land Glass, in which it claimed certain glass tempering machines sold in mainland China by Land Glass also infringed on a Chinese patent owned by Glaston Group. Land Glass responded, saying the lawsuit was "without merit."

“Although the same patents are valid across the world, the decisions were not a complete surprise considering the proceedings in China. Consequently, we have initiated proceedings to cancel the invalidation decisions, and in the meantime, have withdrawn our infringement claims against Land Glass and North Glass from the Suzhou court in order to reserve a right to bring it to the court again," said Arto Mets?nen, CEO and president, in the Glaston release.