Minelab sues XP. The war between manufacturers! (+)

Minelab is suing XP. They want money. Is this a surprise? According to Minelab, XP has stolen its patented technology. It’s not a China-made Teknetics T2 – here everything is serious. I wonder what feature XP metal detectors have borrowed from Minelab’s ones?

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Minelab Electronics PTY LTD (the plaintiff) lodged a complaint against XP Detectors (the defendant) in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, on October 19, 2016.

Minelab claims XP Detectors infringed a patent. At least one aspect (a feature?) of the plaintiff’s patent has been implemented in XP’s machines.

So, Minelab is seeking reimbursement to its business – court injunction on XP’s detectors, damages (during the whole period of XP’s existence?), interest, court costs. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, case No.2: 16-CV-01594-MRH.

And now let me know your thoughts on this… What feature do XP detectors have that could have been borrowed from Minelab’s machines? Maybe we should also establish a prize to award a person who’ll guess it? (at the defendant’s expense, of course).

Updated

Most probably the essence of the lawsuit comes down to the infringement of U.S. Patent No. 7310586 B2 (or US20050062476). The patent application was submitted in 2004, and the patent was granted in 2007 (the year is important as an XP Deus machine appeared in 2009). The initial patent holder is Minelab Electronics Pty Ltd.

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The patent describes the ability to store and transmit data from one metal detector to another. Plus, from the detector to a computer.

The original patent description: A metal detector adapted to generate a transmit search signal and to receive a receive search signal, and to analyse such received search signal, wherein the detector is adapted to allow a selection of operating parameters for each of these functions, said selection being effected by the storage as data in a memory of such selection, characterised in that the detector is adapted to allow such stored data to be modified in accordance with data in an external store, further characterised in that there is a digital data communication transmission program, adapted to effect a transmission of some or all of the stored data through a data transmission means to enable a further metal detector to receive and store for use in such further detector the said data.

The complete patent is here.

All about Minelab is collected here. The manufacturer that hasn’t released any new products in recent times, and has lost Coiltek exclusive a while back (according to an alternative version, in such a way Minelab receives money from White’s customers).

35 Responses to Minelab sues XP. The war between manufacturers! (+)

    • yes i think the same , migth be wireless audio … it seem minelab is looking for cash after the go finder failed ? they should work building product that people want at right price, instead , and not discontinue their best seller…

    • Its more about “Timing” .Minelab has just released a new machine and XP can hurt this if they want by introducing a update or another machine.While all this is now “ON HOLD”Minelab has achieved it s goal and can flood the market with Hype and hysterial,unopposed to outcome.As long as sales go through on the Equinox ….there all good.I hope Minlab looses.

  • It’s a massive bullshit plaint from minelab :
    http://pennrecord.com/stories/511025018-minelab-electronics-alleges-patent-infringement
    “the defendants[XP] allegedly manufacture and offer for sale metal detectors that can store data, a feature that purportedly infringes on at least one aspect of the plaintiff’s[Minelab] patent”
    Good luck with that trial Minelab…

  • Let me beging that I’m a big fan of Minelab’s products (specially the Sovereign) but…. one thing Minelab can’t claim as “copy” is let the users upgrade their machines for free…Minelab likes to put on the market a “NEW” machine just a month after their “LATEST” new machine (of course with a “SUPER NEW PRICE”)…..

  • Maybe it’s the awesome coke finding feature :-)

  • l’inventeur du “sans fil ” n’est pas Minelab … c’est l’italien Marconi.

  • Minelab have brought about their own dilemma by not listening to the punters over many years.

    It’s a bit late to be shouting foul after all this time.

    I say this as a ex Minelab nut.

    Staff like the well known Des Dunne and others in the European theatre were fired and we lost faith in Minelab and many transferred their spending money to XP the listening manufacturer.

    The rest is history and thousands of detectorists will be wishing XP well not only for now,but in the future.

    Happy Hunting.

    Jerry.

    • You hit the nail on the head there Jerry.
      Minelab took out a patent on their coils just before the release of the CTX-3030 but XP had been using this technology for a good few years prior on the XP Deus so how can you steal your own invention, to me it looks like Minelab are well and truly in the mire with their metal detector sales.

  • Sad but true Randy.
    There was a time not many years back when our detecting association had 80% of its members using various Minelab machines and some of us were Minelab fanatics.
    Then our folks got fed up once the Minelab stand still took place and Ireland closed down.
    We now find 90% of the club members using a XP Deus.
    We all wish XP well and watch the case with interest.Jerry.

  • Is this aimed at Deus ? Was not aware that it stored search patterns , as the mine lab patent suggests,
    Just that it had a much finer ability to finely control your search parameters , so no different to any other machine ,
    In that respect ,
    Hope Minelab loose here though , doesn’t help advancement of the hobby , technologically,
    My old company went under when Kodak took a similar lawsuit against us (3M), we were all out of a job

  • Maybe these clowns (Minelab) should spend more time honoring their promises to customers (ie software upgrades for the CTX 3030). Then they wouldn’t have to worry so much about losing market share to other innovative manufacturers!

  • according the patent file by the examination office that allowed that patent they had to have separate memory and processor in both machines for it to be allowed to mind lab. So i dont see that in the xp design acting concurrently. I doubt mindlabs will win this…just trying to be a pain and stop xp from taking over, which it looks like they are doing a great job at in europe

  • It has to do with the new coils xp is releasing as to gold. minelab had enough once they steped into the gold market I guess

  • Minelab doesn’t even care about there customers input….if they did the extract would at least have a color screen or something that’s still the etac and not a overpriced 3030

  • My guess is that it’s about the smartphone connectivity. Such a feature would allow the user to perform a mineralogical survey of sorts and open up the data to considerable post processing.

  • Anyone looking at the profile of your ordinary detectoris woulkd know that Minelab were in trouble a long time ago – they should have reduced the weight dramatically and increased reactivity whey they saw what XP were doing – ostriches come to mind. All sour grapes now.

  • Seriously what stupid uneducated comments, a good article on a patent case, one it seems many of you don’t understand, mostly XP fanboys and girls I suspect who are simply worried about their lightweight machine with rubbish battery life and poor repair options failing and finding they actually using stolen technology!

  • I think what am going to say is.XP Deus does not come near CTX.I had both many may disagree CTX hands down if you know what your doing is the boy.XPCopying Minelab not on.Deus many times in the field reading iron for good target.disc at depth is rubbish.CTX depth and disc are Max you can get.
    Like I said if you know what your doing.its amazing peice of Kit.

    Best regards.

    Norman Kennedy

    • Right on Norman. I had a Deus. Found lots of iron. Went to the CTX when it came out. Really great machine. Can’t wait for the EQUINOX to come available. But will keep the CTX.

  • If Minelab could produce an FBS machine like the CTX the same physical scale at the Deus I’d have my name at the top of the waiting list

  • More bad news, XP’s new pin pointer clearly violates Garrett’s housing patent.

  • Thats all, when the rival is better! ;) CTX seems obsolete a bit. GPS inside and colour display is not enought. No tantrums! Make a better detector then Deus!

  • I think they are all fighting to rip of detectorists like mob phone manufacturers. We are at fault for buying these machines at such hefty prices. They deserve each other minelab and XP their costs come from over priced hyped detectors

  • Looking at the court files,it would seem the war is over and minelab and xp have reached an agreement I wonder who is paying all the court and legal costs.

  • XP are murdering inelab in UK

  • in my country Metal detecting is forbidden. if we switched on the detector on any place, Police react quickly and they find the location. as well detector get to custody. is there. any way to hide that when it using…

  • on the deus hf coil you should be able the use 4frequency vdi numbers it would make it a lot easier to use instead of bunching them so close .make it more friendly user.

  • looks like the claims which all the matter here claims about two machines(memory and processor) in each, same as can be found in the original online examiner comments at the uspto are necessary. Therafter optimized settings and configurations are sent to from machine to the other.

    Doesnt block wireless, serial or other data transmission, and the like. These technologies were made long before this patent and governed for applications under standards for licensing and use.

    But argueably in the age of cloud and server computing updating optimized programs for users seems like something that maybe the problem.

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