Court Only Needs 3 Years to Find That "Slidably Engages" Means "To Engage by Sliding"
The District Court of South Dakota held a joint Markman hearing to discern the scope of patent claims in Larson Manf. Co. of South Dakota, Inc. v. Aluminart Products Ltd., 2007 WL 858421 (D.S.D. 3/20/07) and Larson Manf. Co. of South Dakota, Inc. v. Andersen Corp., 2007 WL 858617 (D.S.D. 3/20/07).
Larson brought suit against Andersen and Aluminart for patent infringement of Larson's patent for ventilated doors. The cases were set for hearing in 2004 to determine the scope of the patent claims, but the cases were stayed pending a reexamination at the USPTO.
The key dispute here were the terms "weather stripping" and "slidably engages." The court rejected the defendants' construction of these phrases, finding that "weather stripping" means a sealing material added to a fabric and that "slidably engages" means to engage by sliding. These favorable interpretations will significantly help Larson in these long-standing patent disputes.
