Fallon Luminous Products Corp., a leading manufacturer of lighted signs, announced that yesterday the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington D.C. overturned the earlier decision of the District Court in Cookeville, Tennessee, and ruled in favor of Fallon in its appeal of a patent infringement suit brought against Fallon by iLight Technologies. The Court vacated both the monetary judgment and the injunction that had been entered against Fallon by the District Court.

“This court decision is a major victory for our company and our customers,” said John Perrachon, Chief Executive Officer of Fallon Luminous Products. “We believe this ruling validates what we have said consistently since the lawsuit was filed—that our products do not violate iLight’s patents. While the case has been remanded to the district court, we believe it will be a simple matter to prove noninfringement in view of the appellate court's ruling. We thank our customers and suppliers for their good faith and confidence through this ordeal.”

iLight Patents Under Review

The validity of iLight’s patents is the subject of separate proceedings in front of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) brought by another company. In March, the USPTO rejected all of the claims in one of iLight’s three patents that were at issue in the Fallon trial as being unpatentable. The USPTO is also reconsidering whether the other two patents asserted against Fallon should have ever been issued.

Fallon Victory Benefits Entire Industry

“It is unfortunate that we and our customers have had to suffer through a costly, protracted court battle on this issue,” Perrachon added. “However, the court’s decision is a real victory for the lighting industry as a whole. We are confident it will help prevent unethical practices of companies who use legal manipulation in an attempt to extract fees from real manufacturers, and, as a result, increase customer costs.”

About Fallon Luminous Products

Established in 1987, Fallon Luminous Products is the supplier of choice for discriminating and high profile buyers of custom point-of-sale, retail and decorative lighted signage. Fallon provides the most diversified product selection in the industry, and ensures the highest quality and value, using state-of-the-art technology and only the finest materials.