[PRESS RELEASE – Toronto, Canada, July 3rd, 2024]
Digital Shovel Holdings Inc. sued RK Mission Critical LLC, RK Mechanical LLC, and RK Industries LLC for patent infringement in May in the US District Court for the District of Colorado. “Instead of competing fairly,” the complaint says, “Defendants are exploiting the innovative technologies that Digital Shovel has worked hard to develop and protect through patents.”
The cover image above shows six original Digital Shovel products in the bottom area, surrounded by RK Mission Critical products using Digital Shovel’s patented technology above.
The dispute began in 2019 when Compute North approached Digital Shovel seeking to license Digital Shovel’s groundbreaking V-Shape technology, which allows for substantially higher miner density in crypto mining containers. Digital Shovel refused the request, recognizing the unique value proposition of its innovation. RK Mission Critical began producing containers strikingly similar to Digital Shovel’s, so much so that Digital Shovel’s staff mistook them for their own, albeit with a different paint job.
The V-Shape technology, originally designed in 2018 and protected by three granted patents in 2022, 2023, and 2024, Nos. 11,910,557, 11,647,605, and 11,540,414 offer up to a 30% increase in miner density, resulting in significant operational and financial advantages for mining operations. Despite being aware of the pending patents as early as 2021, and even after additional patents were granted, RK Mission Critical continued to produce containers using Digital Shovel’s technology without permission.
RK Mission Critical’s refusal to engage in meaningful settlement negotiations, has left Digital Shovel with no choice but to take legal action. Digital Shovel is seeking compensation for the misuse of its patented V-Shape technology and an order from the Court prohibiting any future sales of infringing containers.
Digital Shovel estimates that RK Mission Critical has unlawfully sold hundreds of containers using Digital Shovel’s patented V-Shape technology. This blatant disregard for intellectual property rights not only undermines Digital Shovel’s hard work and innovation but also sets a dangerous precedent for the industry.
Digital Shovel remains committed to protecting its intellectual property and will continue to pursue all legal avenues to ensure that RK Mission Critical is held accountable for its actions.
For more information, or to set up an interview with CEO Scot Johnson, users contact Digital Shovel’s media relations department here.
About Digital Shovel
Digital Shovel helps businesses scale Crypto-Mining operations with turn-key mobile units. With low energy costs and high security, we help businesses with managed and unmanaged miner hosting. For more information users can visit their website here.