National Graphics Vows to Defend Lenticular Patents

BROOKFIELD, WI—After recently completing almost four years of litigation over its intellectual property ownership, National Graphics (NGI) says it is taking steps to enforce its lenticular printing patents.

NGI said that in February of 2012, it was re-affirmed as the owner of over 20 patents in lenticular printing and related fields after winning a 12-member jury trial. Those patents include applying lenticular to a curved surface, in-molding products with a lenticular surface and adjusting an image to correspond to the lenticular lens.

Lenticular printing is a process in which a specially prepared image is placed under a lenticular plastic lens. When this image is viewed through the lens, it can appear to have special effects, such as a three-dimension appearance and/or animation (motion). Most printers, according to NGI, may need to employ one or more of NGI’s patents in order to produce lenticular products.

“The litigation was an exhaustive process,” says Donald Krause, owner of NGI. “Now that it is complete, and it has been affirmed that NGI is the owner of these patents, our intention is to remind the industry of the existence of our intellectual property, and to license those companies that may potentially be infringing.”

NGI is in active negotiations with several companies that are interested in licensing opportunities. The company has also taken steps to enforce its intellectual property. On Nov. 2, it filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin against Brax, Ltd., Dynamic Drinkware, Capitol Cup and Service Litho-Prin.