A jury in Delaware Federal Court has determined that Sandel Avionics did not infringe on Honeywell International patents for aircraft terrain warning systems. The Dec. 5 ruling followed a week-long trial and five hours of jury deliberations.
Sandel President and CEO Gerry Block released a statement saying that his company is now free to continue to manufacture, sell, license, and improve its terrain awareness warning system technology without interference.
Vista, Calif., based Sandel has been fighting Honeywell claims of patent infringement since 2002. A federal judge initially ruled that Sandel did not infringe on Honeywell’s patents, but an appeals court overturned that decision in 2007, calling for a new trial on the final remaining claim. The Dec. 5 decision settles that claim in Sandel’s favor.
A Honeywell Aerospace spokesman said Dec. 11 that the company is disappointed and believes the jury “erred in its findings.” The company also promised to continue to pursue legal remedies when it believes its intellectual property has been “pirated.”
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