RJ Machine Sues Pipe Rival Over Expired-Patent Monopoly

Loeb & Loeb LLP is noted and Bernard R. Given III and Douglas N. Masters are named as counsel for oil pipeline parts maker RJ Machine Co. RJ Machine filed suit against Canada Pipeline Accessories Inc. stating that CPA illegally monopolized the market for a particular pipeline component. RJ Machine is seeking to sell a part called a 50E flow conditioner, a drainlike metal piece that helps guide oil smoothly through a pipeline. According to the suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, CPA has created a monopoly by threatening to sue anyone who uses the design for infringement on a patent that expired in 2011.