Landmark ITC ruling ushers in profound changes

摘要

Though many would like to forget 2007, a year of feeble sales in which laminate flooring was dealt its first loss in value and volume (FCW, Dec. 3/10), a series of events transpired that will affect the category well into the future. On Jan. 5 the International Trade Commission (ITC) officially recognized Unilin's patent for mechanical locking systems, putting an end to more than a decade of legal disputes and effectively closing the borders to infringing products. The implications have already been staggering, with a number of low-cost foreign producers either being forced to drop out of the U.S. market altogether or sign licensing agreements bringing their products one step closer to global pricing standards.