B&T / Breaking News

B&T USA Files Federal Lawsuit Against SureFire, LLC Alleging Patent Abuse and Interference

Tampa, FL (June 2nd, 2025) – B&T USA, LLC and its parent company B&T AG of Thun, Switzerland, have initiated legal proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida against SureFire, LLC. The complaint seeks a declaratory judgment of non-infringement and patent invalidity and brings claims for breach of contract and tortious interference.

This action follows a series of unwarranted legal threats made by SureFire, which has sought to disrupt B&T’s lawful commercial activities by alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 7,676,976 — despite knowing that the underlying technology, B&T’s proprietary Rotex quick-detach suppressor system, was developed, publicly displayed, and sold to U.S. government end users years prior to SureFire’s patent application.

Despite clear evidence of B&T’s prior invention — including exports to the United States and documented use by the U.S. Navy — SureFire failed to disclose this information to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This material omission calls into question the enforceability of the asserted patent and the good faith underlying SureFire’s conduct.

“B&T has a long and well-documented history of innovation that predates SureFire’s patent by several years,” said Jon Scott Chief Executive Officer of B&T USA. “Despite having full knowledge of B&T’s prior invention, SureFire withheld critical evidence from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office while using that same patent as a cudgel against not only us, but our partners. Our lawsuit seeks to hold SureFire accountable for this misconduct, to clear the record regarding B&T’s rights, and to ensure B&T can continue serving the defense and commercial markets without interference.”

Moreover, B&T and SureFire had previously reached a mutual understanding: that B&T would not challenge SureFire’s patent so long as SureFire refrained from asserting it against B&T or its customers. SureFire’s recent actions constitute a clear breach of that agreement, forcing B&T to take legal action to protect its rights, its reputation, and its longstanding customer relationships. B&T has pursued every reasonable path to resolve this dispute privately and professionally. Unfortunately, SureFire’s continued and deliberate actions have left no other choice.