RFID Patent Lawsuit Unlikely to Affect Standards

Intermec Technologies, based in Everett, Washington in the US has filed a patent infringement suit against Rockville, Maryland-based Matrics Technologies, alleging that Matrics has knowingly manufactured and sold RFID components (tags, handheld and station readers) that infringe on Intermec's IP rights. Moreover, Intermec alleges that Matrics is promoting its products as being "IP free."
However, Intermec's president, Tom Miller, was quick to insist that the suit should not slow down the standardization process currently under way within the EPC (Electronic Product Code) consortium. 'This is not about EPC,' Miller said. 'This is about fair business practices and respect for intellectual property (IP).'
Girish Rishi, senior vice president, marketing for Matrics, commented 'Matrics has not received any formal communication from Intermec or from the court regarding this lawsuit as yet. There were no prior discussions with Intermec or its representatives on this subject and we were surprised by the press announcement.'