RIA/ThermaPure lawsuit update

ROCKVILLE, MD — In January 2013, the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) filed suit in U.S. District Court against David Hedman and ThermaPure in an effort to invalidate a family of patents held by ThermaPure TPE Associates and Hedman, according to a press release.

In a recent decision, Judge James V. Selna, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, granted a motion to dismiss brought by ThermaPure, TPE Associates and Hedman as to the seven patents which have only been the subject of license demands to industry professionals, but not litigation, the release stated.

According to the release, in asking the Court to not rule on the validity of those seven patents, defendants argued that the public records cited by RIA reflected that they had never "accused anyone of infringing any claim" of the seven patents.

Defendants argued that since they had never sought to enforce those other patents and there is no indication at this time that they have attempted to enforce them, those counts should be dismissed, the release noted.

For RIA members and the industry at large, this argument by Defendants removes the threat of litigation, licensing demands and potential lawsuits on all of the remaining patents owned by ThermaPure, TPE Associates, or Hedman other than the ‘812 Patent, the release added.

Click here to read the release in its entirety.