Dueling Supply Chain Lawsuits: INTTRA Files Counterclaim Against GT Nexus
NTTRA, a provider of e-commerce solutions for the ocean freight industry, has filed counterclaims against GT Nexus Inc., a provider of cloud-based supply chain collaboration solutions, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Oakland division. INTTRA’s suit alleges that GT Nexus’ supply chain management platform infringes U.S. Patent Nos. 7,752,142; 7,756,794; 7,761,387; and 7,827,119 (the Common Carrier System patents), which relate to certain proprietary systems and methods for managing shipments using an e-commerce platform.
INTTRA’s claims are brought as counterclaims to the lawsuit first filed by GT Nexus on May 2, 2011, alleging that INTTRA’s Common Carrier System patents are invalid and not infringed by GT Nexus’ supply chain management platform. GT Nexus’ lawsuit follows negotiations between the two companies wherein INTTRA proposed that GT Nexus use INTTRA’s patented technology.
“We regret that we are forced to respond to the patent infringement and corresponding litigation initiated by GT Nexus,” says Ken Bloom, CEO of INTTRA.
INTTRA has an alliance program that offers a network of carriers to the ocean freight industry through inter-connectivity between its software solutions and database and the software of 49 companies. The alliance program is designed to increase the efficiency of the ocean freight industry through single-point logistics solutions. There is no charge for joining the alliance program, and INTTRA says it has never denied entry to a partner.
