SEMINOLE, Fla., Aug. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 15, 2019, Smart Communications, the leader in inmate communication technology and systems that digitize, analyze, and eliminate inmate postal mail, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Rutherford County, Tennessee, its Adult Detention Center, and certain of its commanding officials. The complaint alleges that defendants infringe Smart Communications' U.S. Patent No. 10,291,617, entitled "Correctional Postal Mail Contraband Elimination System," through their use of postal-mail-elimination technology provided by other vendors at Rutherford County's jail facility. Smart Communications seeks unspecified monetary damages for defendants' willful infringement and an injunction to prevent their continued infringement.

Smart Communications has a long history of designing and developing cutting-edge technology for inmate communications and bringing new technology and services to the corrections industry. Its patented MailGuard® system of eliminating postal mail by converting that mail into an electronic copy sent to inmate kiosks and tablets was introduced to the corrections industry in early 2016, exclusively by Smart Communications. MailGuard® technology eliminates the infiltration of drugs in postal mail, increases safety and security at the facility, and, accordingly, is highly valuable to the marketplace. The demand for this technology is driving other vendors to reproduce Smart Communications' MailGuard® system, without authorization, in the hopes of obtaining additional business. But such vendors who provide knock-offs of Smart Communications' patented MailGuard® technology recklessly expose their correctional-facility customers to patent infringement liability.

"We have invested heavily in developing our technology and intellectual property, and we will take aggressive action to protect our patented invention and other intellectual property when it becomes necessary," said Jonathan Logan, CEO of Smart Communications. "Unfortunately, we believe Rutherford County is the first of many agencies that will be paying the consequences for their infringement as a result of engaging vendors who copy our patented MailGuard® system."

The case is Smart Communications IP Holdings v. Rutherford County, Tennessee et al., number 3:19-cv-00714, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

About Smart Communications

Smart Communications is a pioneer in the inmate-communications industry. It developed and provided the first kiosk-based electronic-messaging system for correctional facilities, and its groundbreaking postal-mail-elimination technology enables facilities to stop the infiltration of drugs and other dangerous contraband. Visit http://www.smartcommunications.us/ for more information about its innovative products and services.

CONTACT:
Jonathan Logan
CEO, Smart Communications
jon.logan@smartcommunications.us
1-888-253-5178

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SOURCE Smart Communications