WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., May 17 -- The most recent ruling in the ongoing legal battle between bar-code users and Lemelson Limited Partnership came from federal judge in Phoenix on Tuesday. The judge ruled that a suit filed by Lemelson against a bar-code company be put on hold pending the outcome of a suit previously filed against Lemelson by Intermec Technologies Corp.
We support Judge Holland's decision in Arizona and believe other bar-code users are entitled to similar relief, stated Bob O'Malley, president of Intermec.
Our suit last summer raised important questions about the validity of the Lemelson patents. It is fair and appropriate for customers to petition the court to seek a similar hold on Lemelson's actions until the larger question of patent validity can be resolved. Then, finally, our industry can resolve these legal issues.
Last summer in Reno, Nev. Intermec and six other bar-code companies filed suit against Lemelson in federal court in an attempt to invalidate certain Lemelson patents by having them declared unenforceable and not infringed. A motion by Lemelson lawyers to dismiss the suit was denied in March of 2000. In an attempt to pressure bar-code users into settlements, Lemelson sued 438 users On April 14 of this year.