Chris McCutchen is the son of David McCutchen, an inventor and founder of CDC Larue Industries

From David’s innovations, aspirations, and patents the company grew into a leading provider of industrial vacuums and commercial vacuum systems, including the first self-cleaning air filtering technology. Previously, you had to keep stopping to unclog or change filters, with Pulse Bac, you don’t.

David took his new and disruptive filtered vacuum system and applied for a patent on July 18, 2003. He was assigned U.S. Patent No. 7,082,640 for his creation after a long and grueling three-year examination process. In order to protect his family, David created a holding company, Christy Inc., for this and seven other patents. Little did he know, that was not nearly enough protection for what was to come.

As has been the case with numerous inventors, CDC had entered into a business agreement another firm that decided to infringe their patent, instead of paying royalties or a license fee to the actual inventor. In 2008, they entered into an agreement with Black & Decker (B&D). After gaining access to the patent information B&D decided to steal the patent, developing and releasing a DeWalt trade name product based upon said patent in 2012.

In September 2014, Christy and CDC Larue Industries filed an infringement suit against B&D in U.S. district court. The multi-billion dollar manufacturing company responded by filing two petitions for Inter Partes Review (IPR-an attempt to invalidate) with the PTAB. In June 2016, the PTAB's final written decisions invalidated all of the challenged patent claims citing they were either anticipated by prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) or obvious under 35 U.S.C. § 103.

Basically, B&D was granted theft of Christy's property rights.

Learn more about David and Chris McCutchen at: https://usinventor.org/chris-mccutchen/

Support inventors at: https://usinventor.org/resolution/