US corporation Zircon has filed a lawsuit against The Stanley Works for patent infringement.
The suit, filed in California on January 7, concerns the US patent on Zircon's CenterVision technology, which locates the centre point of a stud rather than just the edges – the first stud finder on the market to do so, says the company.

The suit seeks preliminary and permanent injunctions against The Stanley Works, plus damages.

Zircon president John Strauss said, "Zircon has always taken great care to respect the proprietary rights of others and expects its competitors to do the same. We have also vigorously defended our intellectual property in the field of stud finders for over 25 years."