Slot machine maker Everi Holdings Inc. must face claims that it used sham patent filings and baseless litigation to monopolize the market for certain casino ATMs that differ from common cash machines, a federal judge in Delaware ruled Friday.
The allegations “make it plausible” that Everi executives duped regulators into issuing the patents, then asserted them in bad faith, Judge Maryellen Noreika wrote. “Although it may be that plaintiffs cannot ultimately meet their burden for the sham litigation claim, that is not the issue before the court.”
The antitrust lawsuit concerns Everi’s patents on the key innovation distinguishing its casino ...