Oil States Energy Services (OSES) (plaintiff) has launched a complaint Greene’s (defendant) for patent infringement (case no. 6:12-cv-611) on Monday, September 10, 2012 in the U.S Eastern District of Texas Tyler Division. 

Plaintiff is in the business of providing rental equipment and services to oil and gas industry. The patent US6179053 involved in this suit is now owned by OSES. The patent titled ‘Lockdown Mechanism for Well Tools Requiring Fixed-Point Packoff,’ was issued on January 30, 2001 and expires on August 12, 2019. Stinger is the current assignee (source: MaxVal’s Assignment Database*) of the patent US6179053.

 

Stinger Wellhead Protection engages in manufacturing wellhead isolation and wellhead fracturing tools to the oil and gas industry. Guardian Wellhead Protection provides oil well services.

According to the complaint, Stinger previously asserted claims in federal court against Guardian, alleging that Guardian had infringed patents US6289993, US6817423 and US6179053. Later, they resolved it by executing a Settlement Agreement under which Guardian was given a limited license to make and use certain wellhead isolation tools. However, Guardian was not authorized to grant sublicenses or manufacture wellhead isolation tools for third parties. In May 2005, Stinger was acquired by OSES. In December 2011, Guardian changed its name to Trojan and its entire business was sold to Greene’s, including wellhead isolation tools. Trojan belatedly provided written notice of assignment required by the Settlement Agreement.

 

As of this complaint filing, Guardian/Trojan’s books and records have never been made available for inspection by OSES. As a result, OSES has now formally terminated any licenses and rights, Guardian might have had under the Settlement Agreement.

 

Plaintiff has filed a suit against defendant for manufacturing wellhead isolation tools (purportedly acquired from Guardian) that are covered by the patent US6179053.

---

* Patent Assignment Alerts are email alerts sent to you when assignments relating to target applications/patents/entities of interest are recorded.