Johnson Outdoors Files Suit in Federal Court

[harvey lee]

I believe it comes down to simply a patent rights infringement between the two.

In time, the courts will find if there is enough evidence to move forward with this lawsuit.

We as users have no clue what is going to happen in regards to the suit.

We do know that if Lowrance loses, it will cost them. It could end up costing them anyways.

[croixflats]

Now Garmin has to step in and sue for patent infringement rights for protecting their 3D and satellite imagery. looks like Lowrance waits till the the technology is out there then changes it up a bit slap another name on it and call it theirs.

With out Lowrance being able to do side imaging and using the HDS

models they be so far back they couldn't survive. The only thing that would keep them in the game is the loyalty of the Midwest.

Has Lowrance come up with any new technology on their own in the past years.

[PerchJerker]

I don't like getting involved in posts like this because I'm not trying to defend one side or the other, but there are a couple things I want to mention ....

Quote:

Has Lowrance come up with any new technology on their own in the past years.

Lowrance has been the first to market with several significant items. One example is writing their software to read Navionics and LakeMaster data, years before HB or Garmin got involved with those products. Lowrance was also the first to have handheld gps units that used preloaded lake map cards. Another example is the ability to easily network and interface multiple Lowrance units and fuctions together --- the ethernet port for example, something Lowrance has been using for a few years --- something which HB just added to their units this year and does not have a use for yet.

I just think that for any example against Lowrance, there is probably an example for Lowrance.

Quote:

I believe it comes down to simply a patent rights infringement between the two.

In time, the courts will find if there is enough evidence to move forward with this lawsuit.

We as users have no clue what is going to happen in regards to the suit.

I agree with that. Patents and patent infringement are technical areas ruled by lawyers and judges, where the smallest of details can make or break the case. I have heard talk that the size of the Lowrance side-scan transducer is one reason Lowrance feels they are not infringing on the patent ---- another is that Lowrance has more crystals in their transducer so they generate and collect the sonar images differently (and that supposedly gives Lowrance a much cleaner down-scan image than HB). I have no idea how it will turn out in the end, but with all the development and marketing they put into their product I think they would have made sure they were covered on the legal side of things too.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

The lawyers are the only ones that actually win anything IMO.

[harvey lee]

Many tmes these cases come down to who has the best attornies backing them.

Tough for any of us to say one way or another due to the fact that we are all dealing with hear say evidence.

The Judge will make the final decision on who did what and who may have copied who.

Somehow I would have to believe that Johnson Outdoors has some proof to stand on or they may be hoping just to drag this out and cause issues for Lowrance.

[mainbutter]

I'm expecting this to take in the realm of 1 to 2 years to come full circle (or even longer?).

If I had to put money on who's side the court would rule in favor of, it would be HB. I'll be interested to see what Nav.'s lawyers can put together for an argument against patent infringement.

[jigginjim]

The thing I found was Lowrance has a down image scan under the boat. Which HB does not have. Hummingb has the side image but it's using the same basic down scanning all units have.

If lowrance was the first sonar on the market, did they patent that? Sounds like ford vs Chevy vs Dodge.

[TSchultz]

The thing I found was Lowrance has a down image scan under the boat. Which HB does not have. Hummingb has the side image but it's using the same basic down scanning all units have.

Hummingbird does have down imaging, they released the progamming for it earlier this year. There have been some nasty Lowrance people claiming that the Hbird down imaging is not really true straight down. However there have been some very ingenious people on a Hbird site that went through a lot of trouble to prove otherwise. What they did was tie off a balloon under the water go directly over the top with a transducer to show that it splits on both sides of the SI which correlates to its position on down imaging. If someone wants the link I can provide it as it is explained much better with screen shots on the other forum.

[PierBridge]

Give us the main part of the link and we can google the rest.

Thanks!

[TSchultz]

google hummingbird side imaging forum. Should be the first one, xumba...

It's under general and is called Proof on humminbird down imaging.

[eyebjim]

google unofficial humminbird side imaging forums. Once there go to the general forum and it is in the first few postings.