On 17th June 2019 the Norwegian projection manufacturer Norxe was acquitted by the Norwegian court on all major points. The court also concluded that the P1 projector comprises 100% Norxe technology in collaboration with strategic partners.
Following a lawsuit by Barco NV and Barco Fredrikstad AS against Norxe AS and 10 of its employees, the judge from Fredrikstad District Court stated:
“It has been clarified and acknowledged by the plaintiffs that P1 is not based on Barco technology. P1 has been developed within a normal time frame from scratch, with assistance from major suppliers like Philips and Texas Instruments.”
“P1 seems to have been successful and has been chosen by many customers. The court regards this as normal and as fair competition within the market. Norxe offers a product which is perceived to be superior to Barco’s and one that comes with a long warranty.”
“It appears that the case was made more complex than necessary and the court does not ignore that the matter may be part of Barco’s efforts to get rid of a tough competitor.”
The long litigation process was started by Barco over 2 years ago. In May 2017 Barco initiated a surprise “Ex-Parte” (one-sided) search at Norxe’s premises where all data files on the main server in addition to private PC’s and mobile phones were copied.
Norxe co-founder and CEO Kjell Einar Olsen commented, “Hopefully, we can now focus 100% on developing, manufacturing and selling our unique projectors to select and demanding customers world-wide. We owe our partners great appreciation for standing by us during these difficult times, and thus strengthening further our relationships.”
Co-founder and Director of Electronics Per Kristian Thøgersen said “For me personally this has been a very demanding process not only for myself, but also for my wife, my children and the rest of our family. We have been under constant pressure and the feeling of being watched all the time was very wearing. I have been accused of multiple serious allegations. I am now fully acquitted by the court and can finally take my life back again. It has been particularly painful to experience that former colleagues and friends have participated in the campaign against us. ”
Co-founder and Vice President Global Sales, Espen Olsen, commented that “Despite the very challenging campaign Barco instigated against us in the market, we have been able to successfully grow our sales since the P1 was introduced at I/ITSEC in Orlando in November 2016, and was brought to mass production in July 2017. There is no doubt that we make a major difference with our partners both regarding products, people and behaviour. Whilst we are clearly ahead of competition with the P1, I now look forward to introducing our new and exciting P2 that again will raise the bar above the competitors.”
A statement from law firm Thommessen AS regarding the allegations communicated by Barco NV and Barco Fredrikstad AS against Norxe AS is available for download here
About Norxe
Norxe products are 100% designed and manufactured in Fredrikstad, Norway, by skilled craftsmen who are pioneers in the projection industry. Our QTPC quality philosophy is never compromised. We have an international sales organization to ensure local support and service to our customers across the globe. Norxe is 100% owned by employees, ensuring the very best dedication to product development, manufacturing, customer support and service. Our pride is in our people and in our products.
