Schlage agrees to cease making and selling all SecureKey® products
LAKE FOREST, Calif. – August 3, 2011 – Kwikset announces today that the brand has successfully defended its popular SmartKey™ re-key technology patents and that the Kwikset lawsuit against Schlage for patent infringement and false advertising has been amicably resolved. As a condition of settlement, Schlage has agreed to cease making and selling all SecureKey products as of December 31, 2011.
Kwikset, a leading provider of door hardware and locksets, originally filed the lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware against Schlage on March 2, 2010, for patent infringement of Kwikset’s re-key technology and for false advertising – Kwikset alleging that Schlage’s claim that SecureKey products are “10 Times More Secure” than other lock products was false and misleading.
In fact, in an effort to prove Kwikset SmartKey’s superior pick resistance, Kwikset hosted a lock-picking competition for professional locksmiths at the Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA) Convention. Out of the 56 Kwikset SmartKey deadbolts that locksmiths attempted to pick, only one lock was successfully picked, at a time of eight minutes and 16 seconds. Of the 56 competitor deadbolts that locksmiths attempted to pick, 44 were successfully picked, one in as fast as 7.16 seconds.
“Kwikset’s SmartKey technology is recognized as one of the most successful launches in company history,” said Brent Flaharty, President of Kwikset. “It has driven market share gains in all channels of distribution.”
Kwikset was one of the first lock manufacturers to introduce re-key technology to the industry with its SmartKey products in 2007, providing homeowners the flexibility to re-key their locks quickly and easily, without removing the lock from the door. This feature empowers homeowners to protect their homes and families in the face of lost, stolen or unreturned keys. In addition, the patented BumpGuard side locking bar technology replaces a traditional pin & tumbler design to protect against lock bumping. SmartKey deadbolt products are rated ANSI Grade 1, the highest level of residential security. In January of 2010, three years after Kwikset introduced SmartKey, Schlage introduced SecureKey.
"Kwikset is proud of the technology advancements we have introduced to the security industry and, therefore, believe it is critical to defend and preserve our intellectual property, which includes the re-keying patents,” said Flaharty. “We continue to invest in research and development to deliver the most innovative security technologies on the market. SmartKey re-key technology represents this innovation and our commitment to delivering smart, reliable security solutions to our customers.”
For more information about Kwikset SmartKey re-key technology, as well as other smart security solutions, please visit Kwikset Presskits or www.kwikset.com.
About SmartKey
SmartKey re-key technology features a patented side-locking bar, central to the locks’ ability to be rapidly and easily re-keyed. This stainless steel side-locking bar also replaces the traditional pin and tumbler design that is particularly vulnerable to increasingly popular lock-bumping attacks. Additionally, the cylinder uses two steel balls inserted into the front of the cylinder face to provide improved drill resistance. Delivering outstanding strength and protection, SmartKey deadbolts have passed the most stringent lock picking standard, UL 437, par. 11.6 and offer ANSI/BHMA certified Grade 1 security. Grade 1 security is the highest level of tested residential security available in the industry.
Based on performance and features, SmartKey deadbolts earned the prestigious Best Buy rating from Consumers Digest Magazine in the residential deadbolt lock category in February 2010.
About Kwikset
Stanley Black & Decker, an S&P 500 company, is a diversified global provider of hand tools, power tools and related accessories, mechanical access solutions and electronic security solutions, engineered fastening systems, and more.
The Stanley Black & Decker Hardware and Home Improvement Group (HHI) is part of the company’s Mechanical Access Solutions division. HHI develops, manufactures, markets and sells builders’ hardware, residential and commercial door hardware, kitchen and bath faucets, shower systems and bath accessories under the Stanley®, National Hardware®, Kwikset®, Weiser ®, Baldwin ®, and Pfister® brands. Headquartered in Orange County, Calif., HHI has a global sales force and operates manufacturing and distribution facilities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Asia.