APC to Pay $10 Million to Server Technology for Patent Infringement
A Reno, Nevada jury awarded Server Technology, Inc. damages totaling $10,787,634 in an action for patent infringement brought against American Power Conversion Corporation (APC), a subsidiary of Schneider Electric SA. The Server Technology patents in suit are US Patent No. 7,043,543 (Vertical-Mount Electrical Power Distribution Plugstrip) issued May 9, 2006, and US Patent No. 7,702,771 (Electrical Power Distribution Device Having A Current Display) issued April 20, 2010.
The complaint was filed in United States District Court for the Northern District of Nevada in December 2006. In February 2007, APC was acquired by Schneider Electric SA, headquartered in Rueil-Malmaison, France. The jury found APC's AP7900 series and AP8900 series vertical, switched Power Distribution Units infringed both of the Server Technology patents.
"As a Company, we are gratified by the jury's verdict. These patents were the vision of Carrel Ewing, the founder of Server Technology. The jury verdict is a testament to his foresight and the innovations he introduced into the marketplace. This decision reaffirms the Company's belief that it should protect its patented innovations while growing its presence in the marketplace," said Brandon Ewing, CEO of the Company.
Server Technology, based in Reno, Nevada, has 150 employees throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, the European continent, and Hong Kong. The Company has a patent portfolio of over 45 issued patents and has an additional 25 patents pending in the area of power distribution management.
