CommScope, whose cabling products portfolio includes several FTTx products, has sued fellow fiber-optic cabling product vendor Clearfield, Inc. for what CommScope asserts is infringement of 13 of its patents.
The complaint alleges that such Clearfield offerings as the FieldSmart PON Cabinets, WaveSmart Ruggedized Splitters, FieldShield Deployment Reel System, SmartRoute Panel, FieldShield Multiport SmarTerminal, and FieldShield Hardened Connectors infringe on CommScopes technology patents.
"CommScope invests heavily in fiber optic innovation to benefit its customers and reinforce its position as a global leader in wireless and wireline network infrastructure," said Jaxon Lang, senior vice president and Connectivity Solutions segment leader, CommScope. "As such, we vigorously protect these valuable assets, and this action against Clearfield is a necessary step to prevent unauthorized infringement.
Clearfield, not surprisingly, begs to differ. "It seems that Clearfield's successful penetration and growth in the fiber broadband market has attracted the notice of its competitors," responded Cheri Beranek, Clearfield's CEO, via a press statement. "Clearfield remains committed to pursuing its market development initiatives and to winning business with an expansive product offering to a broad customer base that recognizes Clearfield's strong value proposition."
The company vowed to "vigorously defend" itself against the suit, saying that the company invested significant resources into bringing the disputed products to market and that they do not violate CommScope's patents.
The case is CommScope Technologies LLC v. Clearfield, Inc., Case No. 17-cv-00307 (D. Minn., Jan. 2017). The asserted CommScope patents include U.S. Patent Nos. 7,233,731; 8,811,791; 7,198,409; 7,809,233; 9,201,206; 7,809,234; 7,816,602; 8,263,861; 8,705,929; 8,938,147; RE42,258; 7,397,997 and 9,122,021.
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