Pergo Takes Patent Infringement Action Against Fau

Trelleborg, Sweden, January 26--Pergo said it has two steps to protect its patent rights: The group has filed an infringement and copyright action suit against Faus for infringement and the United States Patent Office has issued a "Notice of Allowance" supporting Pergo's Four-In-One Moldings patent application. "Intellectual property rights is a strategic area for Pergo. We will stand up for ourselves in cases of patent infringements and continue to build upon our patent portfolio," says Goran Bernhoff, President and CEO of the Pergo Group. Yesterday, Pergo (Europe) AB and Pergo Inc. filed an infringement and copyright action against Faus Group, Inc. and Industrias Auxiliares Faus S.L. The suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Raleigh, N.C., charges Faus Group, Inc. and Industrias Auxiliares Faus S.L. with infringement of patents US6 517 935 and US6 805 951 related to their sale of accessories in the U.S. The complaint alleges that the Faus group FasTrim product both infringes the patent and copyright rights of Pergo. The complaint requests preliminary and permanent injunction and requests damages and costs. The U.S. Patent Office has issued a "Notice of Allowance" supporting Pergo's Four-In-One Moldings(TM) patent application. The patent will ensure protection of the innovative all-inclusive, snap-together molding system, which has demonstrated to offer significant savings in both cost and time for retailers, installers and consumers. The new molding concept can reduce the number of articles by as much as 75 percent, while providing manufacturers, distributors and retailers greatly increased inventory turns. ``For professionals and DIY'ers, they are simple to install and offer the added guarantee of always having the correct type of moldings on hand to finish the job. Errors are nearly eliminated," explains Bengt Lundgren, President of Simple Solutions, a newly formed division of Pergo, Inc. Simple Solutions Four-In-One Moldings are being manufactured in a brand new 60,000-square-foot facility, which opened in Garner, N.C. last June. Dedicated exclusively to the production of moldings and surface accessories, primarily for the US market, the plant is fully automated and equipped with state-of-the art systems and technology.