Liberty Ammunition, a Florida-based maker of bullets, won a $15.6 million judgment against the Department of Defense after a federal court found the feds did in fact infringe upon one of the company’s patents.
The company filed a suit in 2011 against the U.S. government, accusing the Army of infringing on its design patent for lead-free bullets, the “enhanced performance round,” The Bradenton Herald reported.
The accusation came after Liberty owner P.J. Marx met with U.S. government officials to pitch his patented design for the bullets — and all those at the meeting were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement saying they wouldn’t share or copy any of the ideas discussed, The Blaze reported, citing court documents.
The Army didn’t go with Liberty, but instead partnered with ATK, The Blaze reported.
U.S. Federal Court of Claims judge Charles Lettow ruled that the government subsequently broke the agreement and infringed on Liberty’s design patent via its partnership with ATK, the Bradenton Herald reported. The case was decided in mid-December, but the federal government is now mulling an appeals.
The federal government was also ordered to pay a 1.4-cent royalty on every bullet it buys until 2027, when Liberty’s patent expires, The Blaze said.
The deadline to appeal is Feb. 19, The Blaze reported.
In the meantime, Liberty CEO George Philips said his company is “totally vindicated” by the ruling, the Bradenton Herald said.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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