MONTREAL, Aug. 2, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- A U.S. federal judge has ruled. And those who have had any doubt can be reassured that FieldTurf patents are as solid as the company behind them.
FieldTurf Tarkett and its US$2.8 billion parent company behind the FieldTurf brand, were pleased by the U.S. Federal Court's validation of FieldTurf's position regarding the interpretation of its layered patent claims.
FieldTurf is the world's largest and most trusted brand of artificial turf, installed in over 2,000 stadiums, universities, city parks and schools around the world. A key factor of FieldTurf's incredible success is its layered infill system. The result of many years of research and testing, it replicates the bio-mechanical properties of good natural grass.
The FieldTurf System starts with washed silica sand along with cryogenically frozen and shattered recycled rubber granules. These specially sized materials are layered into a carpet of artificial grass fibers, creating a lush and durable turf system that requires no water, no pesticides, no herbicides and very little maintenance.
"With over 35 unique patents, we are constantly forced to litigate against competitors who claim they have the same turf as FieldTurf," said Troy Squires, FieldTurf Tarkett Vice President of Sales. "Obviously, to have the same turf as us would require that someone infringe one or more of our patents. With the federal court's ruling we will now more aggressively pursue those who attempt to copy our intellectual property."
In this case, a competitor challenged the wording of FieldTurf's layered system patent claims, suggesting that an infill could be installed uniformly (not in unique layers as is done by FieldTurf installers) and not infringe one of the FieldTurf patents, even if it "innocently" ended up in a layered form.
The judge disagreed. Details on the ruling can be found at http://www.fieldturf.com/patentruling/
"Our competitors should be congratulated for their efforts in trying to circumvent our patents," said David Moszkowski, FieldTurf Tarkett CEO. "However, their time may be better spent developing more unique products to compete with FieldTurf. Our R&D team spent many years doing just that."
FieldTurf Tarkett is the largest entity in the sports surfacing industry and provides unparalleled leasing capabilities, engineering and manufacturing resources. In addition to its world-renowned FieldTurf and Prestige brands of artificial turf, FieldTurf Tarkett provides an equally impressive range of products that includes synthetic and hardwood basketball, volleyball and gymnasium flooring, squash and racquetball courts, floor protection and covering systems, and weight room flooring. Also in the range of FieldTurf Tarkett products are indoor and outdoor running tracks including the high performance "Le Monde" track system, playground surfacing, and a complete range of tennis and golf surfaces. For more information, please visit www.fieldturftarkett.com