The International Trade Commission on Tuesday said it will fine DeLorme Publishing, the Yarmouth company famous for its “Maine Atlas and Gazetteer,” more than $6 million in an ongoing patent infringement battle the company is fighting over satellite communication devices.
The civil penalty of $6.2 million is the latest development in a patent infringement case that began in August 2012 when Virginia-based BriarTek filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission alleging that DeLorme’s series of hand-held satellite communication devices, marketed as inReach, infringed on its patent for a similar satellite communication product. BriarTek filed the complaint with the commission because at the time DeLorme was manufacturing the devices overseas and importing them to the United States.
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The commission, which agreed to investigate BriarTek’s claims, is imposing the penalty because it claims DeLorme violated a consent agreement reached in April 2013 in which the company began manufacturing its inReach devices in Yarmouth and promised not to “import into the United States, sell for importation into the United States, or sell or offer for sale within the United States after importation any two-way global satellite communication devices, system, and components” that infringe on BriarTek’s patent. The consent agreement was not an admission of guilt on the part of DeLorme, its attorneys have said.
Soon after the consent agreement was reached, BriarTek argued that the third-party resale of DeLorme’s inReach products, the importation of foreign-manufactured components and other actions violated the consent agreement. In March, an administrative law judge with the commission found in BriarTek’s favor and recommended imposing a penalty of $637,500. In April, the commission altered the judge’s decision and expanded DeLorme’s exposure to penalties.
DeLorme is expected to appeal the commission’s decision.
This story will be updated.
Staff Writer Whit Richardson can be reached at 791-6463 or at:
Twitter: whit_richardson
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