Global technology vendor Serverside Group today announced that it has commenced a patent infringement suit in United States District Court for the District of Delaware.
Serverside's complaint alleges that 15 parties are infringing Serverside's U.S. patent right as to financial transaction card customization technology.
The defendants include CPI Card Group, PSCU Financial Services, Inc., The Members Group Inc., Eastern Bank, Dimpledough Inc., JHA Payment Processing Solutions Inc., T8 Webware, Bank Iowa, Anheuser-Busch Employees' Credit Union, American State Bank, United Solutions Company Inc., Design One Creative, LLC., Neighbors Credit Union and Credit Union 1.
The litigation concerns U.S. Patents No. 7,931,199 and 7,946,490. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") issued the '199 and '490 patents to Serverside in April and May 2011, respectively. Both patents concern Serverside's core card customization technology. Serverside has other patent applications before the USPTO and expects additional patents to issue in due course.
Serverside Group's extensive intellectual property portfolio concerning digital card customization derives from path-breaking work that brothers Tom and Adam Elgar, the pioneers of digital card customization technology, did before incorporating Serverside in 2003.
Adam Elgar, President of Serverside Group, explains: "From the moment we first developed digital card customization, we realized that it would have enormous value for card issuers and cardholders alike. We have spent the past nine years building a successful business of which we're extremely proud."
"Our belief in card customization has been vindicated by the many millions of cardholders we have served and, unfortunately, the number of competitors now offering copy-cat services. Now that the USPTO has granted our first patents in the USA, we are able to defend our rights in court and pursue the companies identified in this lawsuit. They have been using our technology without compensating Serverside for the extensive development costs."
Tom Elgar, Chief Technology Offigy Officer, added: "The process that we patented allows for an excellent user-experience that is error-free at high volumes and that people really enjoy and engage with. It has been a hard journey from the 4th floor, 3-desk office on Carnaby Street, London, to servicing some of the most recognized and demanding card issuers around the globe. We are delighted that the innovation and hard work of all our colleagues at Serverside has been recognized in this way."