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Article: Jury sides with Ventura, Calif., company in Rat Zapper suit.
- Article from:
- Ventura County Star (Ventura, CA)
- Article date:
- March 13, 2007
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Ventura County Star. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Jim McLain
Mar. 13--A Ventura company that markets a rodent-killing gadget dubbed the Rat Zapper has won a patent-infringement lawsuit against a much larger competitor.
A Federal District Court jury in Philadelphia awarded $2.7 million plus legal costs on March 7 to AgriZap Inc., climaxing a two-week trial.
Bob Noe of Ojai, president and CEO of AgriZap and inventor of the Rat Zapper, said the verdict vindicates his case against Woodstream Corp., the country's largest mousetrap manufacturer.
In a 2004 lawsuit, Noe accused Woodstream of stealing and marketing his idea.
"It's hard to prove fraud, but we did," Noe, 61, ...