February 24, 2005

Latest round in ongoing battle

Pressure Pipe files suit over patents from Pure Technologies

MISSISSAUGA, Ont.

In the latest round of a fight between the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company Ltd. and Pure Technologies, Ltd., Pressure Pipe has filed suit in a U.S. federal court to have two of Pure’s patents nullified.

Mississauga-based Pressure Pipe reports it filed the suit in Dallas to have two Pure patents for electromagnetic analysis of concrete tensioning wires declared invalid and unenforceable.

The suit alleges that the equipment used by privately owned Pressure Pipe and American subsidiary Pressure Pipe Inspection Co. USA was “partially developed, tested, and commercialized in Texas long before patent applications for the two patents were ever filed by Pure Technologies.”

It also wants the court to rule that the equipment used by Pressure Pipe not infringe on Pure Technologies’ patents.

Pure sued Pressure Pipe in January, claiming they infringed on U.S. patents for Pure’s P-Wave electromagnetic pipe inspection technology last year.

Calgary-based Pure called off a conditional agreement to acquire Pressure Pipe earlier in February, saying it had been unable to conduct adequate due diligence — examination of the company’s books.

Pure had announced in November that it had conditionally agreed to buy 28 per cent of Pressure Pipe from one of its shareholders for $2.2 million and would make an offer on substantially the same terms to its other shareholders.

Pressure Pipe evaluates the condition of water transmission systems utilizing a suite of unique and patented techniques to pinpoint damaged sections of water supply pipe.

Pure has developed technologies for management and surveillance of critical infrastructure such as pipelines, bridges and nuclear power plants.

The Canadian Press

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