Leviton wins patent suit in China

Leviton, the North American manufacturer of electrical products and lighting systems, has prevailed in a Chinese patent infringement lawsuit that pitted Leviton Electronic Co., its Dongguan-based subsidiary, against Tongling Technology Group, now known as General Protecht Group.

According to a Leviton announcement, China’s Guangdong High People’s Court rejected a claim by General Protecht that Leviton infringed on its design patent for 20 Amp GFCI products. The court, which handed down its decision on June 23, 2010, was ruling on an appeal of the Guangzhou Intermediate Court, which earlier this year ruled in Leviton’s favor by dismissing General Protecht’s case.

The patent infringement suit was originally filed in 2006. Leviton argued that it used a standard GFCI design that had been available to the public for decades.

“We are gratified that the Chinese courts concurred with Leviton that these allegations were unenforceable.” said Meir Blonder, Leviton’s chief intellectual property counsel. “The favorable decision on appeal brings this matter to a close.”