Hamon To Sue American Electric Power For Patent Infringement

Hamon Research-Cottrell announced today that in response to a lawsuit brought against it by American Electric Power Service Corporation and others, it intends to file countersuit seeking both injunctive relief and monetary damages.

"We were surprised to be served with such a suit. As noted in AEP's Complaint, the parties were engaged in negotiations. As such, AEP's failure to provide notice of its intention to file suit is contrary to the spirit of such a dialogue and the principles of common courtesy," commented Philip Moynihan, Hamon's General Counsel. "This suit is a classic example of a big company trying to intimidate a couple of smaller companies in order to obtain rights for which it is unwilling to pay even though other utilities have willingly paid for the use of the technology. The fact is that the urea to ammonia technology at issue is protected by patents issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the judgment of which is seldom overturned. The plaintiffs had previously been put on notice that they were infringing our rights and were asked to cease and desist. Instead of doing so, they have resorted to litigation. We fully intend not only to protect our rights but also to prosecute the plaintiffs for patent infringement."

Hamon Research-Cottrell is a provider of air pollution control services and technology, including the U2A technology, which is at issue in the AEP lawsuit. In the urea to ammonia area alone, Hamon Research-Cottrell and its partners have installed over 8000Mw at six utility plants owned by five different utilities.

Hamon Corporation, Hamon Corporate Plaza, 58-72 East Main St., PO Box 1500, Somerville, NJ 08876. Tel: 908-685-4000; Fax: 908-333-2152.