Zircon Corporation, the company that introduced the world's first electronic stud finder almost 30 years ago and established the electronic hand-held tool category, has filed suit against The Stanley Works for patent infringement.
The complaint is related to U.S. Patent No. 7,116,091, which covers Zircon's CenterVision technology that detects both the edges and the center of a stud with just one pass. Until introduction of Zircon's ground-breaking technology, all stud finders located only stud edges and users had to determine the center for themselves. Definitively identifying the center of a stud is critical since that is the most secure place to attach anything.
"Zircon has always taken great care to respect the proprietary rights of others and expects its competitors to do the same," stated Zircon president John Stauss. "We have also vigorously defended our intellectual property in the field of stud finders for over 25 years."
Consistent with Zircon's code of conduct, the company filed suit on January 7, 2009, in the United States District Court, Northern District of California, San Jose, Calif., against The Stanley Works for patent infringement, seeking preliminary and permanent injunctions and damages.
