Peter T. Leach | Sep 02, 2011 10:22AM EDT
INTTRA is countersuing GT Nexus in a dispute the between the shipping industry technology companies over patents in the container booking process.
INTTRA filed the claim in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California this week, alleging GT Nexus' supply chain management platform infringes on four patents relating to certain proprietary systems and methods for managing shipments using an e-commerce platform.
"We have attempted on numerous occasions to resolve this issue with GT Nexus without resorting to litigation,” said INTTRA CEO Ken Bloom. “Despite our best efforts, GT Nexus has chosen to unlawfully infringe on our patents and has demonstrated complete disregard for the U.S. patent system.
http://www.joc.com/container-shipping/gt-nexus-sues-inttra-patent-dispute <http://www.joc.com/container-shipping/gt-nexus-sues-inttra-patent-dispute>
“Our competitive advantage today is a direct result of our significant investment in research and development, which is now compromised by GT Nexus' illegal action,” he said. “We will vigorously defend our intellectual property to promote the continued creation of innovative logistics solutions for the benefit of our customers, carriers and shippers."
INTTRA brought its claims as counterclaims to the lawsuit GT Nexus filed May 2. GT Nexus alleged INTTRA's common carrier system patents are invalid and not infringed by GT Nexus' supply chain management platform. The GT Nexus' lawsuit followed negotiations between the two companies during which INTTRA proposed that GT Nexus use INTTRA's patented technology.
INTTRA said in its statement on Friday that its alliance program offers connectivity between the software of 49 companies, using a process that improves the efficiency of the ocean freight transactions.
INTTRA said it offered the same nondiscriminatory alliance program to GT Nexus and its customers. It said some shipper customers already use the combined services of INTTRA and GT Nexus through an existing connection between INTTRA and GT Nexus.
GT Nexus, based in Oakland, could not be immediately reached for comment.