Minelab Sues Nokta

[PSPR]

Just a couple weeks ago it looks like Minelab sued Nokta for patent infringement.

https://dockets.justia.com/docket/pennsylvania/pawdce/3:2022cv00211/293964

 

[Matt4gold]

Whether Nokta infringed or not the attorneys always win.  Get you wallet out and pay up.   

[Jeff McClendon]

Nokta Detectors is no longer Nokta Makro. I guess Minelab didn’t get that message. 

[afreakofnature]

11 hours ago, Matt4gold said:

Whether Nokta infringed or not the attorneys always win.  Get you wallet out and pay up.   

My guess is ML is gonna drain Nokta’s smaller cash reserve vs their much larger bankroll, not so much win the case.  If they do its win win for Minelab and possibly good bye to Nokta 😕

[PSPR]

16 minutes ago, afreakofnature said:

My guess is ML is gonna drain Nokta’s smaller cash reserve vs their much larger bankroll, not so much win the case.  If they do its win win for Minelab and possibly good bye to Nokta 😕

I hope Nokta doesn't go out of business.  The competition spurred the creation of the Manticore and new Equinox models.  Plus I, and many others here, have a Legend in our stable of detectors and would rather the company stick around even though we have ordered Manticores.

[Mirda]

It looks like it's US only issue. So Nokta will sell worldwide no matter how it ends.

But I couldn't see any detail about infringement. Personally, I think it's another bs from Minelab...

[Beeper Bob]

Minelab does not like competition. Wonder what patent they infringed upon and if they will go after other detector manufactures like Garret with the Axiom.

[Steve Herschbach]

7 hours ago, CoinShooter1 said:

Go Minelab Go!

I wonder what consumers will do, when their "legendary" product is under warranty, and the copy-cat company is no longer in business?

Detector wars are prohibited on these forums, since it fosters conflict with fellow forum members. Calm sane rational discussion is the order of the day here, not picking teams and engaging in team sports. Nokta is no where near going out of business. That’s baseless pot stirring.

Nokta clearly lifted heavily from Minelab, especially in the look and feel aspect of the Legend user interface. Icons are near identical, for instance. Who knows about the aspects of the multi involved, more a question for engineers. We will see when details emerge, but one would assume Minelab is alleging some violation here regarding how the multi is implemented.

The irony here is Minelab immediately copied Nokta back, including the flashlight and up to now Nokta exclusive vibrating handle. Add the telescoping rod, and the new Equinox upgrades look more like the Legend than ever. A stick in Noktas eye?

People who wants to go on about this outfit copying that outfit don’t know how product development works. Companies copy what succeeds elsewhere all the time, in virtually every product made and service sold. Unless it violates a patent, it is the norm. Equinox is very similar to the earlier Quest designs. Who is copying who? Companies also cross license technology from each other as a regular part of business. Worst case here is Nokta might be forced up to pay Minelab if there was a use of some patent. I suppose they could try and force a stop in sale of product, but that’s pretty rare, unless it’s really blatant, like the Quest and Fisher thing. Or the whole thing gets dismissed as just another blocking tactic by Minelab, which they are not shy of undertaking, just to mess with the competition.

Be interesting to see how it unfolds, but pretty much a sideshow as far as most of us are concerned.

Equinox was released in 2018. This is the Deteknix Quest Pro and Deteknix Quest Gold from 2016. Anyone see any resemblance between these and the later Equinox, and then Legend? Or is it also the coincidence of great minds thinking alike, and form follows function? All smart phones look alike. Some of that is copying, but some is just because a phone needs to be a phone.

 

[diggininMS]

7 hours ago, CoinShooter1 said:

Go Minelab Go!

I wonder what consumers will do, when their "legendary" product is under warranty, and the copy-cat company is no longer in business?

 

I guess Nokta can sue them back for the flashlight and vibration handle. They are both copying each other.

[Matt4gold]

You are correct Steve, I was thinking the same thing when the Nox came out in 2018 that it looked very much like the Quest.  Competition is good and makes the manufacturers come up with new ideas and designs that benefit the consumer's.