Federal Circuit Affirms Sanctions Against Design Patent Owner

The Federal Circuit upheld a $25,000 additional sanction imposed on an Arkansas weapons supplier and owner of a patented stun gun electrode design that filed a series of infringement suits in 2022.

PS Products Inc. dropped its suit against Maryland-based Panther Trading Co. for alleged infringement of PSP’s design patent less than two months of filing. PSP moved for voluntary dismissal shortly after Panther countered by threatening to seek attorneys’ fees and sanctions based on purportedly clear differences between Panther’s stun gun and PSP’s US Patent No. D680,188.

The US District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas awarded ...