Plasdeck said today that it will be “business as usual” for the company after a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., upheld Flexiteek’s ownership of its U.S. patent and dismissed Plasdeck’s appeal of a lower-court decision.
Plasdeck president William Gribble said his company initiated a re-examination of the Whitaker patent and that three examiners at the U.S. Patent Office rejected the only claim of the patent.
“This rejection is being appealed, which can be a lengthy process lasting years,” Gribble said. “During this time, additional claims can be added to the patent. Any additional claims can only narrow the patent, not make it stronger; otherwise anyone with a patent would add claims instead of getting new patents.”
Gribble said that since the trial Plasdeck has received two U.S. patents and one in South Africa.
“The heart of our business is to listen to the concerns of boatbuilders and owners and to provide quality products that will meet their needs,” he said.
Click here to read Plasdeck’s full response.
