Stertil(R)-Koni and Vehicle Service Group (VSG) Agree to Licensing Agreements

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Mar 28, 2013

Lift manufacturers Stertil®-Koni USA Inc. and Vehicle Service Group (VSG) have agreed to license patented heavy-duty vehicle lift technology to each other. The mutual licensing agreements resolve patent infringement lawsuits the companies filed against each other last year.

Under the agreements, details of which are confidential, VSG acknowledges Stertil-Koni’s U.S. Patent 8,191,865 “Device and System for Lifting a Motor Vehicle” (the ’865 patent) as it applies to Stertil-Koni’s ECOLIFT line of heavy-duty in-ground scissor lifts. The patent covers the ECOLIFT system, including the combination of the scissor mechanisms, carriage, cover and other parts. The Stertil-Koni ECOLIFT is the industry’s first U.S. patented, ultra-shallow, full-rise, in-ground scissor lifting system. VSG has agreed to pay a licensing fee for the use of this patented technology on its Rotary Lift® EFX series of heavy-duty in-ground scissor lifts.

In turn, Stertil-Koni acknowledges VSG’s U.S. Patent 6,983,196 (the ’196 patent) “Electronically Controlled Vehicle Lift and Vehicle Service System.” This patent covers 19 different elements that relate to computerized lift controls, lift data display, and networking lifts together. This patented technology makes it possible to provide lift operators with valuable feedback on the status of the lift, maintenance alerts, service manuals and other information through a control panel on the lift itself. Stertil-Koni agreed, as have other manufacturers, to pay a licensing fee to use this patented technology on its mobile column lifts.
In making today’s announcement, Stertil-Koni USA president, Dr. Jean DellAmore, stated: “We are exceedingly proud of our history of innovation, exemplified by ECOLIFT. We continue to implement the best and most cutting-edge concepts that can improve the industry and make the professional lives of the technicians that use our lifts better, safer and more complete. Here at Stertil-Koni, we believe we have a responsibility to advance the industry through better design.” Based on this license agreement, Stertil-Koni is proud to be able to expand the benefit of the ECOLIFT design to more heavy-duty lift users in the United States and Canada.

“By resolving these issues, heavy-duty lift industry leaders VSG and Stertil-Koni jointly ensure that all of our customers have access to cutting-edge lift technology,” says Kirk Dawson, vice president — heavy-duty for VSG. “This agreement will ultimately increase the number of lift options containing advanced features that enhance safety and productivity, which is in all of our customers’ best interests.”
The two lawsuits that had been filed were: Stertil-Koni USA, Inc. v. Vehicle Service Group, LLC, 1:12-cv-02254-CCB, United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, filed on July 30, 2012; and Vehicle Service Group, LLC v. Stertil-Koni USA, Inc., 4:12-cv-00109-SEB-WGH, United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, New Albany Division, filed on September 5, 2012.

About Stertil-Koni USA, Inc.

Stertil-Koni USA, Inc. is a member of the Stertil Group -- the global market leader in heavy duty vehicle lifts – bus lifts and truck lifts. The Stertil Group, which began designing and manufacturing vehicle lifts in 1947, is recognized worldwide for its commitment to quality, performance, durability and innovation. The company has manufacturing facilities in the United States and Europe as well as sales and service locations across the U.S., Canada as well as in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Poland, Turkey and Brazil. Stertil-Koni's breadth of products meets all ranges of lifting needs and includes mobile lifts, two-post, four-post, in-ground piston lifts, parallelogram lifts, half-scissors and its innovative axle-engaging, in-ground, scissor lift configuration, ECOLIFT. Stertil-Koni has also recently introduced the new DIAMOND LIFT, a full rise telescopic piston lift designed to set new standards in precision heavy duty lifting.

About Vehicle Service Group

VSG comprises nine major vehicle lifting and collision repair brands: Rotary Lift®, Forward Lift®, Direct-Lift®, Hanmecson®, Revolution Lift®, Chief Automotive Technologies™, Elektron, Blitz® and nogra®. Based in Madison, Ind., VSG has operations worldwide, including ISO 9001-certified manufacturing centers in the U.S., Europe and Asia. VSG is part of the Engineered Systems segment of Dover Corporation (NYSE: DOV), a multi-billion dollar, global producer of innovative equipment, specialty systems and value-added services. For more information about VSG, visit http://www.vsgdover.com or call (800) 640-5438.

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