The lawsuit, filed on June 30 in U.S. District Court, charged Raven Products with patent infringement of Webstone's patented Isolator® Uni-Flange ball valve, U.S. Patent No. 6,779,561. Webstone manufactures several products developed exclusively for professional contractors. Besides the ball valves in question, those products are: the Isolator® EXP tankless water heater service valve set, and the Pro-Pal® line of step-saving valves. All of these products are either patented or have patents pending.

The lawsuit was settled and dismissed after Raven Products obtained licensing rights from Webstone to manufacture and sell a ball valve under the Webstone patent.

Publication date: 12/05/2005