Datong achieves UK order following patent dispute

DATONG, the designer and manufacturer of intelligence gathering equipment, today said that it had made progress in the sale of products in which it is involved in a patent dispute.

The Leeds-based company has been involved in a High Court action over patent infringement on the sale of third party products for which it acts as a reseller.

Datong and one its suppliers have been accused of infringing the patent on a product but in a High Court judgement earlier this month, a variant of the product range was found not to infringe the patent, so allowing Datong to sell it in the UK.

The company said that the variant is the preferred choice of its potential UK customers and today announced that it had won its first order since it had restarted marketing the product in the UK following the four-month interruption caused by the court hearing.

In a statement, Datong said: “Whilst not a substantial value, the board believe that the order win represents an important step in re-establishing the group’s market position for these products in the influential UK law enforcement market.  Furthermore, taking into consideration the previously announced order wins in the rest of world markets during June 2009, the board believes that this contract reaffirms the group’s strategy and confidence in the third party product range in all its geographic markets.”

Datong designs and makes equipment used by international security organisations to track drug dealers and terrorist suspects.