6/25/2004
Belkin and its Manufacturer Found Guilty of Patent Infringement; Jury Awards Kensington More Than $4 Million in Damages
ACCO Brands, Inc. today announced that it has prevailed in a lawsuit protecting technology patented by its Kensington division, maker of the market-leading MicroSaver computer security cable locks.
A jury in Marshall, Texas agreed with Kensington on every count that a competitor's products, Belkin Components' C100 and K100 laptop security locks, infringe on Kensington's patents. Belkin and its manufacturer, ABA Locks Manufacturer Co. Ltd., were found to be in "willful" violation of Kensington's intellectual property rights and were ordered to pay damages to Kensington amounting to more than $4.1 million. The jury also rejected Belkin's and ABA's claims that the Kensington patents were invalid. ACCO Brands and Kensington will now seek injunctive relief to prevent future sales of the infringing products.
This is Kensington's second major courtroom victory, in as many months, protecting its patented laptop security technology. In April, a U.S. District Court Judge ordered a competitor, Kryptonite Corporation, and a distributor, American Power Conversion Corp., to collectively pay Kensington more than $2.3 million in damages plus Kensington's legal costs. In that case, Kensington also won a permanent injunction prohibiting the defendants from making and selling the infringing products.
"As expected, judges and juries continue to recognize Kensington's technological leadership and are just as determined as we are to protect consumers from illegal imitations," said Janet Dulsky, Director of Product Management at Kensington Technology Group. "There is no substitute for the Kensington MicroSaver, and Kensington will continue to provide our customers and consumers with the most reliable computer security products on the market. At the same time, we will continue to protect Kensington's industry-leading innovation and intellectual property, wherever and whenever necessary."
Notes to editors
About Kensington
Kensington, a leader in smart. safe. simple.™ computing accessories, is the recognized industry standard trusted by enterprises around the world. Kensington's mobile security product offerings include laptop and mobile security locks providing a new generation of front-line protection for mobile devices. In addition, Kensington offers accessories including power adapters, chargers, mice, keyboards, trackballs, universal docking stations, desktop accessories, carrying cases and iPad/iPhone/iPod accessories. Kensington Computer Products Group, headquartered in Redwood Shores, California, is the technology division of ACCO Brands (NYSE: ABD), a world leader in branded office products, with products marketed in more than 100 countries across the globe. For more information, visit www.kensington.com or call Kensington toll-free at 1-800-235-6708.