GAINESVILLE – A Houston company alleges that a former employee of its predecessor has filed a patent based off of its technology.
Flexsteel Pipeline Technologies Inc. filed a complaint on Aug. 19 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida against Bin Chen and Changchun Gaoxiang Special Pipe Co. LTD, also known as Golsun Pipes, seeking correction of inventorship of a patent, conversion, breach of contract and other counts.
According to the complaint, Chen was a former employee of the plaintiff's predecessor-in-interest and signed an intellectual property agreement stating that any invention he may produce or trade secrets learned were property of the plaintiff. The suit states Chen later began employment with Golsun in 2005 and filed the '397 patent in 2013, which the plaintiff alleges is based on its technology.
The plaintiff holds Chen and Changchun Gaoxiang Special Pipe Co. LTD responsible because the defendants allegedly claims inventorship of several claims of the '397 patent, which was purportedly based on plaintiff's technology.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks correct the inventorship of the '397 patent, complete accounting of defendants' profits, all damages, enjoin the defendants from further infringing plaintiff's patents, exemplary damages, all legal fees and interest and any other relief as the court deems just. It is represented by James P. Judkins of Judkins, Simpson & Schulte in Tallahassee.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida Case number 5:16-cv-00239-MCR-GRJ