MinuteKEY obtains favorable verdict in IP case involving key making kiosks

Client(s) MinuteKEY, Inc.

Jones Day secured a successful outcome in an 11-day jury trial in federal court in Cincinnati, Ohio on behalf of MinuteKEY, Inc., a Boulder, Colorado-based company that manufactures automated self-service key-cutting kiosks. MinuteKEY faced accusations of false advertising based on false allegations of patent infringement made to its customer, a national retailer, concerning The Hillman Group, Inc.'s FastKey self-service key duplication kiosk. Hillman sought close to $50 million in damages. The jury deliberated for only 1.5 hours to return with a verdict of liability for Hillman on one small portion of one of its claims, but only $164,072 in damages, half of what Hillman had requested for one of its lost profits damages figures.

The Hillman Group v. MinuteKEY, Inc., Case No. 1-13-cv-00707 (S.D. Ohio) (Judge Dlott)