Insider has written before that T-Rex has been suing digital sign manufacturers and the outdoor advertising firms which use their products alleging patent violations.  Watchfire, Formetco and Daktronics has settled with T-Rex.  Samsung/Yesco hasn’t.  Broadsign, a digital out of home software and solutions provider, is fighting back.  Here’s a statement released yesterday from Broadsign’s CEO Burr Smith

A Word on BroadSign’s Position Toward “Patent Trolls” by Burr Smith

Since 2012, T-Rex Property AB has filed 59 cases (and counting) against digital signage media owners and vendors for alleged patent infringement. What began as a few filings against some of the larger publishers in our space has increased in scope to affect our industry.

BroadSign has brought an action for declaratory judgment against T-Rex, as we believe that we do not infringe their patents. Furthermore, we doubt that their patents are valid based on our extensive review and findings of prior art.

In the coming weeks, BroadSign will undertake the necessary actions to challenge the validity of T-Rex patents. We invite the cooperation of the digital signage industry in this undertaking. Should you wish to learn more about the situation, if you are directly or indirectly affected by T-Rex’s actions, if you would like to assist or cooperate in our efforts, I invite you to speak with me directly.

Let’s do the right thing to stop T-Rex’s activities and show patent trolls that we will prevent similar distractions from preying upon our industry in the future.

Insider’s take: Hurrah to Broadsign for challenging what could be a spurious patent claim.  Insider guesses the legal fees for this will be in the six figures  It would great for the digital sign industry to see the whether T-Rex’s patent claims stand up to a court challenge.

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