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29 September 2016Patents

Three brothers sue Sears for patent infringement

The family of a deceased inventor has sued US department store Sears for patent infringement, in a case centring on automated pricing systems.

Bryan, James and Charles Freeny III sued Sears at the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division.

The suit was filed on Tuesday, September 27 and concerns US patent numbers 6,076,071 and 6,513,016. The patents were granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office in June 2000 and January 2003 respectively.

The patents cover an “automated synchronous product pricing and advertising system” where product pricing and advertising information on different store locations can be managed from a central location.

Charles Freeny Jr, who is deceased, is the named inventor of the patents. The three Freeny brothers claim that Sears has infringed their father’s patents by using electronic pricing units at its stores.

The brothers are asking for a permanent injunction against Sears, damages as a result of the infringement, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees and a trial by jury.

Sears was founded in 1886.

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