RealD Accuses Volfoni, CinemaNext of Patent Infringement in Germany

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Wed, 12/20/2017 - 11:16 -- Nick Dager

RealD today filed a complaint with the District Court (Landgericht) in Düsseldorf, alleging that Volfoni SAS, Volfoni GmbH and CinemaNext Deutschland have infringed three of RealD’s European patents by the importation, sale, or offer for sale of the Volfoni SmartCrystal Diamond cinema systems in Germany. In the complaint, RealD requests an injunction banning the sale of the infringing devices and seeks financial damages.

A Volfoni spokesman declined comment but said the company would make an official statement on the matter on Thursday. A spokesman for CinemaNext said, “CinemaNext Deutschland Gmbh doesn’t understand its involvement in this lawsuit. We are currently discussing this situation with our lawyers. As of today, we do not acknowledge any legal notification of such claim from the plaintiff.”

The asserted patents cover RealD’s light-doubling 3D cinema system technology used in its XL product line. “RealD maintains an extensive patent portfolio covering its 3D cinema systems in numerous international markets, including the United States, Europe, China, Japan, S. Korea, Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico and Russia, and intends to continue vigorously enforcing its intellectual property rights against infringement of its patented inventions,” said Neil Mothew, vice president of intellectual property and legal affairs at RealD.

This is the second patent enforcement action that RealD has taken against Volfoni. In March 2014, RealD filed suit against Volfoni in the United States for patent infringement. RealD says it dismissed that U.S. patent lawsuit without prejudice after Volfoni made specific representations and warranties that it had not sold or distributed the SmartCrystal Diamond product in the U.S.