Middletown, R.I.-based KVH Industries Inc. [KVHI] filed suit in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island against in-motion satellite antenna competitor Datron/Transco Inc. [DTSI] for infringing a KVH patent.

KVH is seeking a court order that would prevent Datron from making or selling products that KVH claims infringe on its patent. KVH also is seeking unspecified compensatory damages, which the company wants the court to triple due to a “willful violation” of the patent.

“Clearly, Datron was aware that KVH had a patent on this technology,” said KVH President and CEO Martin Kits van Heyningen. “I’m determined not to let our competitors unlawfully use KVH technology and claim it as their own.”

The patent at issue (U.S. 5,835,057) deals with using one antenna to simultaneously receive signals from two different types of satellites: such as a television satellite to receive data and a communications satellite to transmit requests for data. KVH believes this patent opens a path to a key technology for future products that will bring two-way Internet access to mobile customers.

However, responding to the allegations made against Datron/Transco, a company spokesman said, “[This claim] is totally without merit and Datron intends to defend itself vigorously.”