Mark Bartlett, Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Protection of our technology and products remains a key focus of the Company. The maintenance of our brand value supports us in retaining our market share and strong relationships with our customers.
“We continue to monitor the market for copyists and take actions to disrupt those that infringe on our IP. As illustrated, we are able to defend our technology in a number of different ways and ensure that consumers, our customers and our brand are protected.”
Strix Group Plc (LON: KETL), the AIM listed global leader in the design, manufacture and supply of kettle safety controls and other complementary water temperature management components, today provided an update on its intellectual property protection initiatives.
Building on successes announced earlier in the year whereby Strix was able to both enforce its patent rights and, where they have expired, utilise other legal redress such as copyright to take legal action against those that seek to copy its products, Strix is pleased to report the following recent developments:
· Although all manufacturers that currently seek to copy Strix’s controls and connectors are based in China, not all these manufacturers sell their products on the China domestic market where Strix has much of its IP registered. In an effort to try and avoid patent infringement proceedings some of these manufacturers only export their products, often to countries where Strix does not have its IP registered. However, under China patent law it is still an offence to manufacture infringing product in China regardless of its ultimate destination. Acting on information provided by Strix, local IP enforcement authorities were able to raid a factory in Guangdong province belonging to Foshan Shunde Xiaolong Electrical Appliance Co. and seize electronic kettles that infringed Strix’s IP and which were to be exported to South Korea. The parties subsequently settled matters as set out below.
· In an example highlighting the different ways the Company can protect its position concerning its older products, Strix brought a claim based on unfair competition against Expo Börse GmbH and Schou Germany GmbH who had imported kettles into Germany which, according to Strix, incorporated copies of its controls and connectors. The parties subsequently settled matters as set out below.
· Strix continues to monitor internet product sales and takes action where appropriate. The Company recently brought a complaint of electronic kettle patent infringement to the attention of Amazon who swiftly removed the webpage from their platforms of one vendor, DEUBA, who settled with Strix as set out below.
