Schematics for the magazine in question. (Photo: USPTO)
Two giants in the gun industry are hashing out a conflict over a patent design in federal court, according to court documents filed this month.
Browning Arms filed suit against Smith & Wesson, the parent company of Thompson Center Arms, over the use of a magazine design for a hunting rifle.
According to the civil complaint, Thompson Center’s Compass Rifle is equipped with a detachable rotary magazine that fits flush with the stock. But the magazine design (Patent # 8,745,912) was invented by and licensed to Browning.
The Utah-based gun maker was issued the patent in June 2014 and the lawsuit alleges Thompson Center violated that patent when it released the Compass Rifle in 2015.
Browning has asked the court for an unspecified sum in damages multiplied by three, as is common for patent suits.
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