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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA


ECKART GMBH,

Plaintiff,

v.

SILBERLINE MANUFACTURING
CO., INC.,

Defendant.


Civil Action No.




JURY TRIAL DEMANDED

Electronically filed

COMPLAINT AND DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL

Plaintiff ECKART GmbH (hereafter, ECKART), by and through its undersigned
counsel, hereby files the following patent infringement complaint against Defendant Silberline
Manufacturing Co., Inc. (hereafter, Silberline), averring as follows:
THE PARTIES

1. ECKART is a Gesellschaft mit beschrnkter Haftung (GmbH) organized and
existing under the laws of Germany having a place of business at Gntersthal 4, 91235 Hartenstein,
Germany. ECKARTs subsidiary, ECKART America Corporation, operates several locations in
the United States, including a location in Louisville, Kentucky and Painesville, Ohio.
2. ECKART traces its formation to 1876, and employs a world-wide work force of
approximately 1,800 people. ECKART develops, manufactures and sells metallic effect pigments
in powder, paste and pellet forms, metallic concentrates, dispersions and printing inks, as well as
pearlescent pigments. ECKART sells its products world-wide for use with a variety of
applications, including paints, coatings, graphic arts, plastics, lightweight concrete and cosmetics.
ECKARTs customers are located around the world, including within this District.
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3. ECKART is the owner by assignment of all right, title, and interest in and to United
States Patent No. 7,172,812 (hereafter, 812 Patent) entitled, Effect Pigments Coated with
Reactive Orientation Aids. The named inventors of the 812 Patent are Klaus Greiwe and Alfried
Kiehl. A true and correct copy of the 812 Patent, which issued on February 6, 2007, is attached
hereto as Exhibit A.
4. Upon information and belief, Silberline is a corporation organized and existing
under the laws of the state of Indiana, having a place of business at 130 Lincoln Drive, P.O. Box
B, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania 18252.
5. Silberline advertises its products, including the SILBERCOTE AQ line of
products via its website, www.silberline.com, which is accessible all over the United States,
including within this District.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE

6. ECKART brings this action for patent infringement under the patent laws of the
United States, Title 35 of the United States Code. This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C.
1331 and 1338.
7. Silberline advertises its infringing products in this District. On information and
belief, Silberline also regularly conducts business in this District, and has offered the infringing
products for sale in this District.
8. This Court has personal jurisdiction over Silberline because of Silberlines
activities within this District.
9. Venue is proper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1391 and 1400(b) because, inter alia,
Silberline is subject to personal jurisdiction in this District and harm is being felt in this District as
infringing products are being marketed to potential and existing customers of ECKART.
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SUMMARY OF THE FACTS
10. The 812 Patent was duly and legally granted by the United States Patent and
Trademark Office on February 6, 2007 and claims, inter alia, a surface modified flake-form metal
pigment for use in a paint or lacquer containing a binding agent, comprising an initial flake-form
pigment having on its surface a layer with at least one reactive organic solvent based surface-
modifying agent, wherein the surface-modifying agent is a compound having at least two terminal
functional groups which are different from each other and which are spaced by a spacer, wherein
at least one terminal functional group is chemically bound to the surface of the initial pigment and
at least one other terminal functional group is chemically reactive with the binding agent, and
wherein the metal pigment is of a particle size between about 1 and about 200 m, is easily wetted
by a binding agent or solvent of a paint or lacquer, is capable of being oriented in a liquid film of
the paint or lacquer and is capable of forming an intimate chemical bond with the binding agent of
said paint or lacquer upon baking or hardening of said paint or lacquer.
11. As described in the 812 Patent, the inventive combination of a flake-form metal
pigment and surface-modifying agent creates a metal pigment that is easily wetted and exhibits
markedly improved orientation within the paint or lacquer matrix. The inventive metal pigment
also overcomes water diffusion and condensation issues that plagued other effect pigments that
existed at the time. Several examples are included near the end of the 812 Patent to further
illustrate the invention.
12. Upon information and belief, Silberline has and continues to make, use, sell, and
offer for sale within the United States, and import into the United States, a series of aluminum
pigment products under the name SILBERCOTE AQ (Accused Products). The
SILBERCOTE

AQ Star product line includes aluminum flake pigments for use in a paint or
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lacquer that include on the surfaces thereof silicon dioxide having an aminoalkylalkoxysilane
bound to the surface thereof, and thus infringes one or more claims of the 812 Patent.
COUNT I: INFRINGEMENT OF THE 812 PATENT

13. ECKART repeats and re-alleges each and every averment contained in paragraphs
1-12 hereof by reference as if fully set forth herein.
14. ECKART owns all right, title and interest in the 812 Patent.
15. The 812 Patent is a valid and enforceable U.S. Patent.
16. By making, using, selling, and/or offering for sale in the United States, and/or
importing into the United States the Accused Products, Silberline has infringed and is continuing
to infringe at least one claim of the 812 Patent in violation of 35 U.S.C. 271. Such infringement
has caused and is causing ongoing harm to ECKART.
17. Upon information and belief, Silberline has been and is still directly infringing, as
defined by 35 U.S.C. 271, at least one claim of the 812 Patent by making, using, selling, offering
to sell, and/or importing its Accused Products and will continue to do so unless enjoined by this
Court. By reason of the ongoing and continuous infringement by Defendant of the 812 Patent,
ECKART is entitled to an entry of an injunction against Silberline, preventing further infringement
of ECKARTs patent rights, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 283.
WHEREFORE, ECKART respectfully requests judgment be entered against Silberline as
follows:
(a) Entering judgment that Silberline, by reason of the making, using, selling, and
offering for sale in the United States, and the importing into the United States, of the Accused
Products, infringed and is infringing the 812 Patent in violation of 35 U.S.C. 271;
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(b) Awarding ECKART damages to the full extent permitted by 35 U.S.C. 284,
including interest, by reason of Silberlines infringement of the 812 Patent;
(c) Entering a permanent injunction against Silberline, barring and enjoining further
making, using, selling, and offering for sale in the United States, and importation into the United
States, of all infringing products until the expiration date of the patent; and
(d) Awarding ECKART costs, disbursements and fees under 35 U.S.C. 285, and all
other relief as this Court deems proper.
JURY DEMAND
Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 38(b), ECKART hereby demands a trial by
jury on all issues triable of right by a jury.

Respectfully submitted,

Dated: August 8, 2014 /s/ Cecilia R. Dickson
Kent E. Baldauf, J r. (PA I.D. No. 70793)
kbaldaufjr@webblaw.com
Cecilia R. Dickson (PA I.D. No. 89348)
cdickson@webblaw.com
The Webb Law Firm
One Gateway Center
420 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Suite 1200
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 471-8815

Counsel for Plaintiff ECKART GmbH