Bingo Card Minder Corp., Glenbrook,Nev. based Electronic Bingo Device Manufacturer, Wins Major Industry Patent/Infringement Case; Court Decision Will Have Significant Impact on Electronic Bingo in Halls Nationwide.SAN JOSE San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 1995--A verdict reached yesterday in the United States District Court United States District Court In the U.S., any of the 94 trial courts of general jurisdiction in the federal judicial system. Each state, as well as the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, has at least one federal district court. in San Jose, Calif. on a patent/infringement case will affect the way Bingo is played in the nation's over 37,000 Bingo halls, including 200 Indian halls. After a month-long trial between Bingo Card Bingo cards are used to play various bingo games, including U.S. style bingo and UK style Housie. Cards are usually made of cardboard or non-reusable paper, but more and more bingo halls are beginning to use computerized cards. Minder Corp. and Power Bingo, Ltd., two of the industry's leading electronic bingo device makers, a jury in Federal Court found BCM's original patent valid and infringed. The patent covers a device which allows Bingo enthusiasts to play up to 300 cards at one time, keeping track of all numbers daubed daub v. daubed, daub·ing, daubs v.tr. 1. To cover or smear with a soft adhesive substance such as plaster, grease, or mud. 2. To apply paint to (a surface) with hasty or crude strokes. and winning patterns, plus alerting players when they get "Bingo." Bingo Card Minder's "electronic daubing" system, another option for serious players, exists along with paper and hardcard standards. BCM BCM Baylor College of Medicine BCM Become BCM Business Communications Manager (Nortel) BCM Broadcom Corporation BCM Business Continuity Management BCM Business Contact Manager (Microsoft) Corp. is one of the leading providers of electronic Bingo to the nation's 60 million players, or one in four persons. The court decision will provide an opportunity for BCM Corp. to assume many units currently provided by Power Bingo, Ltd. Gerald Novotny, BCM Corp. President, said, "We believe this verdict will send a message to the growing number of `me toos' in our business that we have a valid patent, which cannot be infringed upon." The pioneering patent was issued to inventor Jacob Gluz in 1983, and was assumed by Novotny in 1987. BCM Corp. has been selling their electronic system to Bingo hall operators since 1989. BCM Corp. had 1994 sales of $2.4 million. "The jury took about 10 minutes to find the patent valid, but they labored for two days over infringement," said Jeff Parish of Rosenblum Parish and Issacs of San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden , attorney for the patent owner. "We're happy with the verdict validating the patent and finding infringement by Power Bingo, Ltd., one of our client's principal competitors." CONTACT: Bingo Card Minder Corp. Suzanne Rosevold, 702/588-8511 Weidinger Public Relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most Phil Weidinger, 702/831-3993 |
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