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11 January 2017Patents

Wendy’s in patent beef over barcodes

The Wendy’s Company, the parent of fast-food chain Wendy’s, has found itself locked in a patent infringement claim surrounding barcodes.

Texas-based Reflection Code accused Wendy’s of infringing US patent number 8,733,657, which covers a barcode device, in a filing at the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on Monday, January 9.

Reflection is the assignee and owner of the patent.

According to the claim, the inventions of the patent resolve technical problems related to the use of codes, including 2D bar codes.

Wendy’s is alleged to have infringed the patent by selling products and services that incorporate a barcode device.

The device includes a “value acting as pointer addressing a database entry” which then returns a URL in the database to a computer-controlled device.

Wendy’s is also accused of aiding others to infringe by advertising and distributing the barcode device and providing instruction materials, training and services for the device.

Reflection also alleged that Wendy’s had indirectly infringed US patent numbers 7,963,446 and 8,763,907 through the use of its barcode device.

The Texas-based company is seeking a jury trial, damages, a declaration that the case is exceptional, and an award of further relief as the court deems just and proper.

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