Välinge signs license agreements for Extended Patent Protection on LVT and WPC flooring products

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Välinge/Fordaq
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Välinge has signed several license agreements with manufacturers of WPC and LVT floorings, thereby extending their IP protection through cross-licenses and non-assertion undertakings.

The Välinge patent portfolio for LVT and WPC products has been available to licensees for over 10 years. Since Välinge announced the Extended Patent Protection (EPP) for LVT and WPC floorings earlier this year, the following companies have been granted an extension to their license agreements:

  • Anhui Sentai WPC Tec Flooring Co., Ltd.
  • Qing Yuan Kuai Di New Building Materials Co., Ltd.
  • Anhui Omi Vinyl. Co., Ltd.
  • Baroque Timber Industry (Zhongshan) Co., Ltd.
  • Xianju Deyi Decoration Material Co., Ltd.
  • Huizhou Naibao Plastic Products Co., Ltd.
  • Chiping Jiahua Plastics Co., Ltd.

Bringing an end to market uncertainties

The period 2012-2015 was marked by several legal disputes regarding scope of protection and patent rights applicable to LVT and WPC products, thereby bringing uncertainties to the market. Claims regarding certain of these IP rights were sent to several LVT/WPC licensees and their customers during that period.  

In order to eliminate market uncertainties, reduce legal costs for licensees and to speed up market introduction of new technologies, Välinge is now able to offer an Extended Patent Protection (EPP) for LVT and WPC floorings. The protection includes cross-licenses and non-assertion undertakings with companies such as Classen, Unilin, Windmöller, Mannington and US Floors. These third-party patent holders would have the right to take legal actions against producers, importers and distributors, dealing with infringing LVT and WPC products without this Extended Patent Protection. 

About the EPP

Mannington IP rights

In 2012, Välinge Innovation signed a cross-license agreement with Mannington, providing Välinge the exclusive right to sub-license the Mannington IP rights related to LVT/WPC locking technology to other producers.

Unilin, Pergo, IVC and Balterio IP rights

Välinge has recently been granted a non-assertion undertaking on Unilin patent rights, including Pergo, IVC and Balterio IP rights, related to LVT/WPC products, processes and locking. This includes many different patent families and several issued patents, such as the US patents being national stage of WO 2011/141849 relevant for LVT as well as WPC floorings.

Windmöller IP rights

In 2015, Ulrich Windmöller Consulting GmbH successfully defended its European patent No. 1 938 963 before the Board of Appeal, who decided to maintain the patent in amended form. The Windmöller patents, including the above mentioned European patent and corresponding patents claiming priority from DE 10 2006 058 655, are relevant for floor panels in the form of a multilayer, rectangular elastic laminate having a core of PVC and a panel thickness of 4 to 8 mm. Välinge has now obtained a non-assertion undertaking for those IP rights, relevant for LVT and WPC products.

USFloors IP rights

Välinge also recently obtained semi-exclusive rights to sub-license USFloors’ IP rightsrelated to WPC products including the COREtec® technology. The original US patent application has resulted in three issued patents: US 9,156,233, US 9,193,137 and US 9,234,357. These patents are relevant for planks having a waterproof core comprising a plastic composite.

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