USFilter will vigorously defend its products against a patent infringement suit filed on Oct. 8 by ZENON Environmental, Inc., Oakville, Ontario, Canada. The company said its products do not infringe any valid claim of the ZENON patents and that the suit targets USFilter products, which have been on the market for several years and are gaining marketshare.
"We believe in the integrity of our products and the processes we use to validate our technology rights," said Frank Firsching, president of USFilter's water and wastewater systems group. "Customers should not allow this litigation to affect their decision-making process as they evaluate the features and benefits of the various membrane systems and make the best choice for their end-users."
"Our membrane products are themselves patented and do not infringe any valid claim of the ZENON patents, and we look forward to demonstrating our view in court," he added. "The fact that our products have been gaining wide customer acceptance leads us to question the commercial motivation behind the lawsuit.
"As much as any company in our market, we respect the value of intellectual property," he continued. Firsching also noted that this litigation follows opposition proceedings commenced by USFilter in a number of countries against ZENON patent applications involving similar technology.
USFilter believes that the ZENON suit should have no impact on USFilter's current or future projects, installations or customer relationships.
Source: USFilter
