On March 14, 2025, the USPTO’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) issued a Final Written Decision in an Inter Partes Review (IPR2023-01372) finding all litigation asserted claims of U.S. Patent No. 9,657,882 unpatentable. The ‘882 patent is owned by Buergofol GmbH from Germany and relates to inner film used to manufacture cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP) liners used to rehabilitate underground pipes. Buergofol had sued Omega Liner Company, Inc. for infringement of the ‘882 patent in U.S. Federal District Court over its sale of CIPP liners. Neustel Law Offices represented the IPR Petitioner, Omega Liner Company, Inc., a small CIPP liner manufacturing business with approximately 50 employees in Canton, South Dakota in the successful IPR campaign.
Category: Patent Infringement Lawsuits
NEUSTEL SUCCESS: Pre-Institution Stay Pending IPR’s Granted for Neustel Client, Barco, Inc.
On October 5, 2017, Neustel client Barco, Inc. was granted a stay in the Northern District of Illinois, on the basis of three petitions for Inter Partes review challenging all the asserted patents in the case. The case is T-Rex AB v. Barco, Inc., No. 1:16-cv-6938 (N.D. IL.). The IPR’s have not yet been instituted, but the stay follows the practice in the Northern District of Illinois liberally granting such stays when discovery and other matters in litigation have not progressed significantly toward trial. The challenged U.S. patents are RE39,470, 7,382,334, and 6,430,603, and relate to systems and methods for remotely displaying digital information, particularly for digital signage and advertising. Barco, Inc. is represented by Edward Runyan of Neustel Law Offices, LTD.
Neustel News – Fitness Celeb Claims Gym Infringed Exercise Machine, IP (Law360 Article)
Law360 did an article on our recent lawsuit on behalf of Lagree to enforce its patents, trademarks and copyrights. Below is the initial portion of the article and a link to the full Law360 article:
Fitness Celeb Claims Gym Infringed Exercise Machine, IP
Law360, Los Angeles (February 17, 2017, 7:57 PM EST) — Fitness guru and celebrity trainer Sebastien Lagree and his Lagree Fitness sued the BodyRok franchise in California federal court on Friday alleging infringement of his patents, copyright and trademarks with a fitness machine nearly identical to his “Megaformer.” Lagree’s Pilates-style fitness program is practiced in more than 300 licensed studios around the world, the complaint said. He also has patents for exercise machines in the program, including the “Megaformer,” which is designed to work core muscles in various ways and only sold to Lagree-licensed studios. In a detailed 52-page complaint, Lagree accused BodyRok and its founders, who once had licensed Lagree programs, of debuting a fitness machine that infringes his patents for the Megaformer, as well as copying other aspects of Lagree’s program. Read Entire Article