94:
Finkelstein, founded
Rollabind, Inc. The new company, led by Greenberg, proceeded to build its brand and infrastructure to supply product to the expanding marketplace growing from a few thousand dollars in sales to over $ 8 million in sales by 2001. The patent office issued United States patents to the Feldmans numbered 5,553,959 (1996) and 5,749,667 (1998). For a time, Levenger Company bought notebooks and supplies for the disk-binding system from Rollabind, Inc which at the time was controlled by Mitch Greenberg and Ed Finkelstein with Feldman being a 1/3 partner. Levenger sold the notebooks and supplies under its own Circa brand name. In 2002, Greenberg and Finkelstein sold their interest in the company to a group led by Michael Olsher with Feldman still involved and formed a new company, Rollabind, LLC. After about 2 years, the Olsher group sold out to another individual who invested an undisclosed sum but was out in just over 1 year after losing their investment. In 2004, the Feldmans licensed Levenger under their patents to manufacture the notebooks and supplies. In early 2006, Levenger learned that Staples and Target marketed notebooks similar to Levenger's Circa line. In November 2006, Levenger filed a civil action in the
582:
639:
28:
20:
64:
Notebook sheets are removed by peeling the perforations away from the binding discs. Sheets are added by affixing the perforations to the discs. Sheets can be transferred between disc-bound notebooks of different functions and sizes, provided the discs have the same profile and spacing. In addition
106:
alleging that
Levenger infringed the patents and misappropriated trade secrets. After a trial, in September 2007 the court declared the patents invalid and unenforceable, denied most of the other relief that Levenger sought (including refund of royalties Levenger paid under the patent license and
93:
claiming improvements they made to the Flic disk-binding notebook system. The
Feldmans had an agreement with Israeli company Mapal, owner of the Flic brand but lost their distribution rights sometime in late 1995, early 1996. In April 1996, Mitch Greenberg met Jack Feldman and along with Ed
72:
It may be argued that disc-binding allows single pages to be easily added or removed with disc-bound notebooks; however, transfer of large amount of pages from one notebook to another is substantially more difficult with disc-bound notebooks, compared to ring-bound ones.
85:
to
Georges Mottart, who founded Papeteries G. Mottart n.v., the exclusive producer of disc-binding systems in Europe until the mid-1990s, when the patent expired. Atoma sells 1–1.5 million disc-bound notebooks yearly.
123:
This information is the transcript of a radio interview with Pierre-Michel Van
Canneyt, grandson of Georges Mottart, first broadcast on national Belgian radio (VRT, Radio 1). The audio (in Flemish) is available at
95:
81:
Andre Tomas and Andre Martin (from whom the Atoma brand name was derived) invented and patented the first disc-binding system. In 1948, they sold their
90:
209:
102:
that the
Feldmans' patents were invalid and for various other relief and stopped paying royalties under the patent license. The defendants filed a
688:
623:
65:
to using paper specifically manufactured for a particular disc-binding system, ordinary paper can be inserted by using a specially designed
712:
184:
illustrating the method by which page perforations grasp onto the perimeters of the discs when inserting and removing pages.
128:
202:
681:
616:
717:
221:
195:
674:
609:
446:
349:
260:
255:
58:
707:
99:
150:
589:
46:
646:
441:
250:
153: (S.D. Fla. 2007).All facts stated about this case are taken from the court's opinion.
364:
549:
132:
658:
593:
564:
245:
701:
539:
425:
410:
379:
369:
354:
311:
295:
544:
518:
389:
326:
103:
42:
581:
172:
654:
650:
554:
508:
321:
275:
270:
54:
19:
513:
359:
341:
290:
181:
125:
66:
559:
482:
477:
451:
285:
280:
638:
89:
In June 1995, Jack and
Shirley Feldman filed a patent application with the
27:
523:
503:
487:
472:
420:
405:
384:
374:
331:
265:
39:
107:
reimbursement of its legal fees), and denied defendants' counterclaim.
415:
316:
240:
175:
82:
218:
50:
187:
96:
United States
District Court for the Southern District of Florida
467:
191:
235:
178:
pool - photographic examples of user-customized notebooks
662:
597:
166:
53:. Each disc has a raised edge. Notebook sheets have
532:
496:
460:
434:
398:
340:
304:
228:
69:to perforate the pages to conform to the discs.
23:Detail of the perforation-to-disc binding system
682:
617:
203:
8:
126:http://www.radio1.be/programmas/och1/735511
689:
675:
624:
610:
210:
196:
188:
169:Atoma Disc-bound Notebook Company website
91:United States Patent and Trademark Office
26:
18:
116:
57:along the binding edge that match the
7:
635:
633:
578:
576:
61:and spacing of the binding discs.
14:
655:the design of mass-produced books
637:
580:
1:
661:. You can help Knowledge by
596:. You can help Knowledge by
151:516 F. Supp. 2d 1272
734:
632:
575:
713:Brand name products stubs
647:making art out of books
146:Levenger Co. v. Feldman
16:A type of notebook bind
649:, the arts related to
49:to hold the sheets of
32:
24:
350:Continuous stationery
261:Corrugated fiberboard
77:Invention and patents
30:
22:
100:declaratory judgment
645:This article about
131:2011-07-18 at the
33:
25:
670:
669:
605:
604:
573:
572:
442:Ingrain wallpaper
251:Coffee cup sleeve
725:
691:
684:
677:
641:
634:
626:
619:
612:
584:
577:
212:
205:
198:
189:
154:
148:
142:
136:
121:
733:
732:
728:
727:
726:
724:
723:
722:
698:
697:
696:
695:
631:
630:
574:
569:
528:
492:
456:
430:
394:
336:
300:
224:
216:
163:
158:
157:
144:
143:
139:
133:Wayback Machine
122:
118:
113:
79:
17:
12:
11:
5:
731:
729:
721:
720:
718:Book art stubs
715:
710:
700:
699:
694:
693:
686:
679:
671:
668:
667:
642:
629:
628:
621:
614:
606:
603:
602:
585:
571:
570:
568:
567:
565:Security paper
562:
557:
552:
547:
542:
536:
534:
530:
529:
527:
526:
521:
516:
511:
506:
500:
498:
494:
493:
491:
490:
485:
480:
475:
470:
464:
462:
458:
457:
455:
454:
449:
444:
438:
436:
432:
431:
429:
428:
423:
418:
413:
408:
402:
400:
396:
395:
393:
392:
387:
382:
377:
372:
367:
362:
357:
352:
346:
344:
338:
337:
335:
334:
329:
324:
319:
314:
308:
306:
302:
301:
299:
298:
293:
288:
283:
278:
273:
268:
263:
258:
256:Corrugated box
253:
248:
246:Cigarette pack
243:
238:
232:
230:
226:
225:
217:
215:
214:
207:
200:
192:
186:
185:
179:
170:
162:
161:External links
159:
156:
155:
137:
115:
114:
112:
109:
98:that sought a
78:
75:
31:Atoma notebook
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
730:
719:
716:
714:
711:
709:
706:
705:
703:
692:
687:
685:
680:
678:
673:
672:
666:
664:
660:
656:
652:
648:
643:
640:
636:
627:
622:
620:
615:
613:
608:
607:
601:
599:
595:
592:article is a
591:
586:
583:
579:
566:
563:
561:
558:
556:
553:
551:
548:
546:
543:
541:
540:Drink coaster
538:
537:
535:
531:
525:
522:
520:
517:
515:
512:
510:
507:
505:
502:
501:
499:
495:
489:
486:
484:
481:
479:
476:
474:
471:
469:
466:
465:
463:
459:
453:
450:
448:
445:
443:
440:
439:
437:
433:
427:
426:Visiting card
424:
422:
419:
417:
414:
412:
411:Business card
409:
407:
404:
403:
401:
397:
391:
388:
386:
383:
381:
380:Postage stamp
378:
376:
373:
371:
370:Manila folder
368:
366:
363:
361:
358:
356:
355:Greeting card
353:
351:
348:
347:
345:
343:
339:
333:
330:
328:
325:
323:
320:
318:
315:
313:
312:Facial tissue
310:
309:
307:
303:
297:
296:Shipping tube
294:
292:
289:
287:
284:
282:
279:
277:
274:
272:
269:
267:
264:
262:
259:
257:
254:
252:
249:
247:
244:
242:
239:
237:
234:
233:
231:
227:
223:
220:
213:
208:
206:
201:
199:
194:
193:
190:
183:
180:
177:
174:
171:
168:
167:Atoma Company
165:
164:
160:
152:
147:
141:
138:
134:
130:
127:
120:
117:
110:
108:
105:
101:
97:
92:
87:
84:
76:
74:
70:
68:
62:
60:
56:
52:
48:
44:
41:
38:is a type of
37:
29:
21:
663:expanding it
644:
598:expanding it
587:
545:Filter paper
519:Playing card
390:Post-it note
327:Toilet paper
145:
140:
119:
104:counterclaim
88:
80:
71:
63:
55:perforations
36:Disc-binding
35:
34:
708:Bookbinding
651:bookbinding
555:Paper model
509:Paper craft
435:Decorations
322:Paper towel
276:Oyster pail
271:Molded pulp
173:Circa Rolla
702:Categories
514:Paper toys
497:Recreation
360:Index card
342:Stationery
291:Paperboard
229:Containers
111:References
67:hole punch
45:that uses
560:Sandpaper
483:Newsprint
478:Newspaper
452:Wallpaper
399:Financial
286:Paper cup
281:Paper bag
524:Quilling
504:Confetti
488:Pamphlet
473:Magazine
421:Passbook
406:Banknote
385:Postcard
375:Notebook
332:Wet wipe
266:Envelope
222:products
129:Archived
40:notebook
590:product
305:Hygiene
59:profile
43:binding
416:Coupon
365:Letter
317:Napkin
241:Carton
176:Flickr
149:,
83:patent
657:is a
653:, or
588:This
533:Other
461:Media
219:Paper
182:video
51:paper
47:discs
659:stub
594:stub
550:Form
468:Book
447:Mat
236:Box
704::
690:e
683:t
676:v
665:.
625:e
618:t
611:v
600:.
211:e
204:t
197:v
135:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
