Unilin Technologies, a global leader in flooring innovation, has filed a complaint in the East Texas District court on January 24 against Vilox, Amy Group and East Texas Floors. The legal action was taken to address the alleged infringement of several claims of multiple US patents within Unilin’s extensive SPC patent portfolio.
“We firmly believe that SPC products with a Vilox locking technology are covered by our SPC patent portfolio,” states Bart Van der Stockt, President of Unilin Technologies. “Unfortunately, it has come to our attention that Vilox representatives are providing a different narrative to the market. Consequently, we find it necessary to take decisive action against them and the companies doing business in such products, in order to protect the interests of our licensed partners.”
Unilin’s SPC/LVT patent portfolio currently contains 120 granted US patents and 45 US patent applications, protecting different technological aspects integral to the success of SPC technology. These patented innovations include, for example, the extrusion and lamination process during manufacturing, density and rigidity parameters of the core boards, different locking systems, foaming technology, and more.
The Texas district court case follows Unilin’s successful 2019 International Trade Commission (ITC) case, which resulted in obtaining a General Exclusion Order based on three of the 120 above-mentioned patents in the portfolio. Unilin’s decision to file the new Texas case is based on two other US patents of the extensive portfolio that were thus not included in the 2019 ITC case. Unilin also continues to evaluate other infringements and expects to bring additional infringement claims in the coming weeks or months.
“We remain dedicated to creating a fair and competitive market environment while protecting the investments and interests of our licensees and their customers,” added Van der Stockt. “The legal action will contribute to maintaining a level playing field in the industry and ensuring that innovative technologies continue to thrive for the benefit of all stakeholders.”
