Key copying company Hillman Group Inc. owes competitor Hy-Ko Products Co. $16 million for violating a pair of machinery patents, a Texas jury found Friday in a trial involving two of the few companies that own key-duplication kiosks and machines in major retail stores.
The jury upheld the validity of the patents while also rejecting Hy-Ko’s assertion that Hillman’s infringement was willful.
Hy-Ko sued Hillman in June 2021, alleging that its machines, including the PKOR and KeyKrafter, violated four patents in an attempt “to maintain and expand control of the lucrative key duplication business"—a retail industry worth $600 million annually. ...