In a joint statement GE and Feuz manufacturing Inc (FMI) have announced that they have agreed terms following a Federal Court Complaint filed by GE against FMI and its principals Gary and Wesley Feuz in the New York District Court. FMI has paid an undisclosed sum in reparation.
The statement says:
"The General Electric Company and Feuz Manufacturing Inc. Gary A. Feuz and Wesley Feuz, have agreed to a settlement with respect to all issues in the case General Electric Co. v Feuz Manufacturing, Inc., et al. FMI has agreed to cease and desist any unauthorised use of GE’s intellectual property in the making of parts sold by FMI or for any other purpose.
FMI has admitted misappropriating GE’s intellectual property and unlawfully using it to make unauthorised parts. FMI also has conceded that it subsequently sold these manufactured parts to third parties. As a result, FMI has agreed to pay GE an undisclosed amount as compensation for its wrongful conduct."
GE says that it intends to take similar action in the future against any suppliers who may violate their contracts.
FMI had been a contractor to GE, making parts for its gas turbines including shrouds, seal pins and rotors. GE's action was for $10 million in damages and lost revenue following its allegation that at times during the period 1984 to 2004 FMI had used technical information – drawings, specifications and designs - provided by GE under limited use and non-disclosure clauses, to manufacture GE parts for gas turbines and sell them to third parties, claiming to be making use of intellectual property that they now owned.
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