Sep 27 2006
The United States District Court in Minnesota has reaffirmed the favorable judgment won by 3M and 3M Innovative Properties Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of 3M, in a patent infringement lawsuit against Avery Dennison Corp. involving pressure-activated adhesives for large-format graphics.
The court denied Avery Dennison’s post-trial motions seeking to set aside last December’s jury verdict in favor of 3M. The court affirmed the jury’s findings that 3M’s patent is valid and infringed by Avery Dennison’s EZ series fleet marking film. The court additionally affirmed that the permanent injunction prohibiting sales of Avery Dennison’s EZ series fleet marking film is appropriate and remains in effect. Damages for Avery Dennison’s sales of infringing products prior to entry of the injunction will be determined at a later date.
3M Controltac plus graphic film with Comply performance uses 3M’s patented technology to allow graphics to be applied more quickly and consistently, reducing wrinkles and bubbles throughout the application process. It is especially effective for use in the most challenging applications requiring superior repositionability and air egress, such as the application of large format graphics to trucks, buses, trains and other fleet vehicles.