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USPTO Grants Mercury Cable's Request for Reexamination of CTC's 7,179,522 Patent

^{Published on 2011-02-05 12:25:52 - Market Wire}
 

DANA POINT, Calif.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Mercury Cable and Energy (aMercury Cablea) is pleased to announce that its Request for Ex Parte Reexamination of the Composite Technology Corporation (OTCBB:CPTC.OB) U.S. Patent No.7,179,522 for ACCC bare overhead transmission conductor pursuant to 37 C.F.R. 1.510 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office has been granted.

"The cited art clearly demonstrates that, it was well known that multiple fiber types could be used in a composite core for an electrical conductor"

On 12/22/2010 a compliant Request for Ex Parte Reexamination was filed challenging the patentability of each of the 20 claims contained in U.S. Patent No. 7,179,522 (hereinafter referred to as the '522 Patent) citing 4 new items of prior art which present new, non-cumulative technological teaching that was not previously considered or discussed on the record during the prosecution of the application that resulted in the a522 patent and specifically was not discussed with regard to the subject matter of each of claims 1-20.

The examiner stated that the prior art submitted araises a substantial new question of patentability with respect to claims 1-20.a The teaching in the prior art submitted by Mercury was not cited nor cumulative to the teachings in the prior art discussed during the prosecution of the application that led to the a522 patent. Therefore, athere is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable examiner would consider these teachings important in deciding whether claims 1-20 are patentable.a

aThe cited art clearly demonstrates that, it was well known that multiple fiber types could be used in a composite core for an electrical conductor,a said Todd Harris, President of Mercury. The prior art submitted to the USPTO is also being asserted against CTCa™s 162 and a319 patents in U.S. Federal Court as discussed in Mercurya™s December 23^rd press release.

Mercury Cable & Energy is a privatelyaheld developer of High Voltage Composite Reinforced Conductors (HVCRC), Smart Conductors for the Smart Grid. The patented HVCRC Smart Conductor is superior to existing conductors in a number of key performance areas including:

• Up to double the current carrying capacity of ACSR
• Substantially reduces highatemperature sag
• Requires fewer structures for new line construction
• Increases capacity of existing rightsaofaway and structures through retrofitting
• Eliminates biametallic corrosion
• Significantly reduces line losses compared to sameadiameter conventional and composite conductors at equal operating temperatures