Boart Longyear wins patent battle, seeks damages

Drilling equipment and services company Boart Longyear’s Globaltech Corporation offshoot has had optical device patents it holds upheld in an appeal to the Full Federal Court.

The Perth company, part of Boart Longyear’s Veracio subsidiary, won an appeal brought by Reflex Instruments Asia Pacific regarding the enforcement of Globaltech’s Australian patent for an optical device used in downhole tools and a downhole information gathering system.

Globaltech produces manufactures exploration instrumentation, analysis software and real-time remote monitoring systems – including in-hole drill hole monitoring – for mining and exploration operations.

Reflex had filed an appeal against a Federal Court decision favourable to Globaltech regarding Reflex tools EZ-GYRO and EZ-TRAC when used with its infrared coupling and infrared data association standard device.

The win means that orders made by the Federal Court are now in force. They are that:

• Reflex is restrained from using or supplying any optical device or downhole data gathering system that infringes the patent
• Reflex must remove all IR coupling and irDA devices from the products
• And Reflex must destroy any IR coupling and irDA devices as well as promotional, advertising and instruction material.

According to a statement from Boart Longyear: “The next phase in these proceedings is for the Court to determine the compensation payable by Reflex to Globaltech for the infringing conduct.”

Picture: Globaltech Corporation