O GaugeWatch.com

According to the December issue of Model Retailer Magazine, MTH has filed suit against Broadway Limited Imports, maker of HO trains,  for unauthorized use of patented technology dealing with the synchronization of a locomotive’s sound and smoke to its track speed. Broadway Limited Imports was started by Bob Grubba, who was the central figure in the trade secret lawsuit filed by MTH against Lionel. Grubba was also the focus of other legal tangles with MTH. Read the Model Retailer article here.

If you want to take a trip down memory lane and relive the details of the many lawsuits that rocked the O Gauge hobby a few years back start with these OGaugeWatch.com posts.

MTH officially announced in their 8-13 edition of their electronic newsletter that their lawsuit with Korea Brass, a.k.a. MKT has been settled.  MTH hasn’t posted the announcement on their website yet so here it is…. 

Columbia, Maryland, August 12, 2008 — The federal court case between M.T.H. Electric Trains and MKT (formerly Korea Brass) has been resolved via settlement between the two firms. Terms of the settlement include payment by MKT to M.T.H. in the form of cash, HO tooling from the Broadway Limited product line and Lionel HO product line, a sub-license from 
Precision Craft Models for the DCC patent held by Real Rail Effects and dismissal of the MKT/Korea Brass financed QSI Patent Infringement case against M.T.H.
      

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Continue to read MTH Settles Lawsuit with Korea Brass

I recently received an email from a reader inquiring about the status of the AmbroseBauer lawsuits against Krause Publications and author David Doyle.  I had completely forgotten about these lawsuits so I headed over to the AmbroseBauer site to find out some information.  It turns out the suits against both parties were settled near the end of 2007.  You can read the press releases about the settlements here and here.  If you’re not familiar with the lawsuits check out my post from June of last year here.

In what should be one of their last court appearances, lawyers for MTH, Lionel and Sanda Kan (Lionel’s principal manufacturer of trains) appeared in a New York Bankruptcy Court on March 27th.

At the end of the hearing, Judge Burton Lifland approved Lionel’s confirmation plan for reorganization. The court also approved Lionel’s settlement with MTH.

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Continue to read Court Approves Lionel's Bankruptcy Plan and Settlement with MTH by Erol Gurcan

Neil Young (actually his family trust) and a partner, Louis Kovach, own a company called Creative Trains.  Creative Trains and Lionel are partners in a venture called Liontech.  Liontech is the brains behind the development of TMCC.  Mr. Kovach has agreed to sell his 50% share of Creative Trains to Neil Young and Lionel for $650,000.  The Bankruptcy court has to grant permission to Lionel to make the purchase and is scheduled to hear the request on 2/21/08.  Read the entire story here.

There was some model train litigation involving Lionel and MTH in two different courts on 1/10/08.

Firstly,
in the New York City Bankruptcy Court, Lionel’s motion for a 7th
extension of the exclusive period in which to file its reorganization
plan, was granted by Judge Lifland. MTH’s lawyer, Alec Ostrow did not
oppose the motion. The court’s order gives Lionel the exclusive right
until March 31 file its plan with the court. Others including MTH may
file alternative plans after that up and until May 30.

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Continue to read Bankruptcy Court Grants Lionel 7th Extension: MTH Motion to Extend TRO Granted by Erol Gurcan