Smartrac wire embedding patent receives full validation by Chinese authorities

Smartrac N.V., the developer, manufacturer, and supplier of RFID transponders and inlays, has announced full validity and unrestricted confirmation of its patent CN 11 19 768 C by the Chinese Patent Re-examination Board (PRB).

The confirmation follows a lengthy legal process in which market participants tried to challenge one of the patents related to the company's proprietary wire-embedding technology.

"We are very pleased that our patent has been validated by the Chinese authorities. This is another important step in our strategy to protect and defend our patents on a global scale," said Christian Uhl, Co-Chairman and CFO. "The validation of one of our wire-embedding patents will help us to further strengthen our market position in the region and to take the necessary means against infringement of our intellectual property."

Wire-embedding technology is the de facto standard for the manufacture of high-quality and high-security RFID inlays and transponders used in application fields such as e-passport and further areas where durability and reliability of the antenna and the inlay are key.

Smartrac holds numerous patents related to its proprietary wire-embedding technology. Furthermore, the company has steadily increased the number of patents and patent applications in the course of time. At the end of 2012, Smartrac held more than 700 patents and patent applications for technology, equipment, and the production of RFID components. In addition to its Intellectual Property (IP), Smartrac also has extensive knowledge and experience in processing technologies such as wafer processing, assembly, chip module packaging capabilities, antenna-chip interconnecting technologies, and lamination. Based on these strengths, the company is the technology partner of choice in the global RFID industry.