JVL Found Guilty of Willful Infringement of Merit Patents

The jury found that JVL began infringing Merit’s intellectual property in 1998 with the Concord 2 product, and continued utilizing some of Merit’s patented technology until recently with the iTouch product lines. Among other things, this finding means that JVL cannot legally offer automated tournament sequencing features in the US, as patented by Merit; JVL was forced to eliminate this popular feature from its very recent products and will not be able to reintroduce it in the future.

“I truly thank the 8 jurors and Judge Savage for their extensive time and efforts to resolve this important matter,” Maas added.

For over 30 years, Merit has ensured long-term return on investment for operators by providing continually high-earning equipment along with updates and upgrades for its products. With an installed base of over 250,000 touchscreen games accounting for over 4 billion plays per year, Merit Entertainment is the worldwide leader in touchscreen entertainment devices. Merit Entertainment products appear globally in a wide array of venues and appeal to an almost limitless demographic. Merit continues to serve the industry with ever-increasing entertainment, content, and new games. The company maintains a Web site with all the latest information at www.meritgames.com.

JVL Found Guilty of Willful Infringement of Merit Patents
Bristol, PA- A jury in U.S. Federal District Court in Pennsylvania on Friday concluded that JVL Corporation had willingly infringed multiple patented inventions by Merit Industries, and awarded substantial damages. After hearing evidence for over two weeks, the jury deliberated for just one afternoon before returning a verdict which included the finding that JVL’s conduct, beginning over a decade ago, demonstrates they intentionally violated the patent laws of the United States by illegally selling products that use Merit’s patented technologies. The law requires a jury to have “clear and convincing evidence” to find willfulness, which they did. “Merit is committed to upholding the values of fair competition embodied in the laws of the United States,” said Michael Maas, President & CEO of Merit. “When others do not respect those laws, Merit will take action to assure justice and require future fair play.”

The jury found that JVL began infringing Merit’s intellectual property in 1998 with the Concord 2 product, and continued utilizing some of Merit’s patented technology until recently with the iTouch product lines. Among other things, this finding means that JVL cannot legally offer automated tournament sequencing features in the US, as patented by Merit; JVL was forced to eliminate this popular feature from its very recent products and will not be able to reintroduce it in the future. “I truly thank the 8 jurors and Judge Savage for their extensive time and efforts to resolve this important matter,” Maas added. For over 30 years, Merit has ensured long-term return on investment for operators by providing continually high-earning equipment along with updates and upgrades for its products. With an installed base of over 250,000 touchscreen games accounting for over 4 billion plays per year, Merit Entertainment is the worldwide leader in touchscreen entertainment devices. Merit Entertainment products appear globally in a wide array of venues and appeal to an almost limitless demographic. Merit continues to serve the industry with ever-increasing entertainment, content, and new games. The company maintains a Web site with all the latest information at www.meritgames.com.