STEVENSVILLE, Md. — Lift manufacturers Vehicle Service Group (VSG) and Stertil-Koni USA Inc. have agreed to license patented heavy-duty vehicle lift technology to each other. The mutual licensing agreements resolve patent infringement lawsuits the companies filed against each other in July and September of last year. Financial details of the agreement were undisclosed.
VSG agreed to acknowledge Stertil-Koni’s U.S. Patent 8,191,865 “Device and System for Lifting a Motor Vehicle” (the ‘865 patent) for Stertil-Koni’s ECOLIFT line of heavy-duty inground scissor lifts, including the combination of the scissor mechanisms, carriage, cover and other parts.
Stertil-Koni said its ECOLIFT is the industry’s first U.S. patented, ultra-shallow, full-rise, in-ground scissor lifting system.
“We are exceedingly proud of our history of innovation, exemplified by ECOLIFT,” said Dr. Jean DellAmore, president of Stertil-Koni. “We continue to implement the best and most cutting-edge concepts that can improve the industry and make the professional lives of the technicians that use our lifts better, safer and more complete.’
“Here at Stertil-Koni, we believe we have a responsibility to advance the industry through better design. Based on this license agreement, Stertil-Koni is proud to be able to expand the benefit of the ECOLIFT design to more heavy-duty lift users in the United States and Canada.”
VSG also agreed to pay a licensing fee for the use of this patented technology on its Rotary Lift EFX series of heavy-duty inground scissor lifts.
Meanwhile, Stertil-Koni acknowledged VSG’s U.S. Patent 6,983,196 (the ‘196 patent) “Electronically Controlled Vehicle Lift and Vehicle Service System” that covers 19 different elements that relate to computerized lift controls, lift data display and networking lifts together.
This patented technology makes it possible to provide lift operators with valuable feedback on the status of the lift, maintenance alerts, service manuals, and other information through a control panel on the lift itself.
Stertil-Koni said it agreed, as have other manufacturers, to pay a licensing fee to VSG to use this patented technology on its mobile column lifts.
“By resolving these issues, heavy-duty lift industry leaders VSG and Stertil-Koni jointly ensure that all of our customers have access to cutting-edge lift technology,” said Kirk Dawson, vice president of heavy-duty lifts for VSG. “This agreement will ultimately increase the number of lift options containing advanced features that enhance safety and productivity, which is in all of our customers’ best interests.”
