Florida Patent Infringement Suit Filed by M Ship Co.
According to a press release on PJM News, M. Ship Co. has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against ICE Marine Ltd., a UK company. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. M Ship Co. is seeking to enforce its patent rights regarding its M-hull boat technology.
Alleged in the lawsuit is infringement by ICE Marine of M Ship Co.'s U.S. Patent No. 6,250,345, entitled "M-Shaped Boat Hull," claiming that this infringement has encouraged others to infringe in the United States.
M Ship Co.'s founders Chuck Robinson and Bill Burns invented the M-hull, a non-conventional air entrapment hull design. The military has particular interest in these types of craft, as it views shallow water regions as future battle zones and wants to prepare accordingly.