ABC IP, LLC et al. v. Para Bellum Research Lab LLC et al
Case Overview
- Case Name: ABC IP, LLC et al. v. Para Bellum Research Lab LLC et al.
- Court: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin (Madison Division)
- Case Number: 3:26-CV-00581
- Filing Date: June 23, 2026
- Plaintiffs: ABC IP, LLC and Rare Breed Triggers, Inc.
- Defendants: Para Bellum Research Lab LLC and James T. Radke
- Nature of Action: Civil lawsuit alleging willful patent infringement with a demand for a jury trial.
Executive Summary
Plaintiffs ABC IP, LLC (the patent owner) and Rare Breed Triggers, Inc. (the exclusive licensee) have filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Wisconsin-based research entity Para Bellum Research Lab LLC and its corporate principal, James T. Radke. The federal complaint alleges that the Defendants are actively marketing, advertising, and selling unauthorized trigger assemblies via their official social media storefronts. The accused inventory specifically centers on the Atrius Forced Reset Selector (available in ambidextrous pre-order packages and variants featuring distinct trigger shoe configurations).
Plaintiffs contend that these mechanical assemblies directly copy and infringe upon their protected utility patent portfolio engineered to safeguard “forced reset trigger” (FRT) firearms technology. Characterizing the retail operation as an intentional violation of federal intellectual property laws, the Plaintiffs accuse the Defendants of willful infringement, opening the door for enhanced damages and permanent injunctive relief.
The Technology in Dispute
The lawsuit centers on advanced firearm trigger engineering—specifically the mechanical transition from standard semi-automatic mechanisms to patented forced reset trigger (FRT) assemblies:
- Standard Semi-Automatic Trigger: Relies on a traditional disconnector mechanism. When a round is fired, the user must manually release rearward finger pressure on the trigger so the disconnector can hand the hammer back off to the main trigger sear before the firearm can be discharged again.
- Forced Reset Mechanism (The Patented Invention): Eliminates the necessity of traditional disconnector dependency during accelerated sequences. Instead, it utilizes specialized locking bars, cams, or lever systems cycled directly by the firearm’s reciprocating bolt carrier. This mechanically forces the trigger forward into its set reset position during the action cycle, allowing for an accelerated, highly efficient firing sequence without converting the firearm into an automatic weapon.
Breakdown of Infringement Claims
Patent Infringement (Counts I – IV)
The complaint asserts that the commercial parts collections marketed by the Defendants (promoted across Instagram and Facebook channels under the @parabellumresearchlab identifier) infringe upon four distinct U.S. Patents owned by ABC IP, LLC:
| Count | Asserted Patent | Technical / Mechanical Focus of Claim | Accused Device Context |
| Count I | U.S. Patent No. 12,038,247 | Overarching dual-mode trigger utilizing a moving cam lobe to physically force the trigger member back into its set position. | Atrius Forced Reset Selector |
| Count II | U.S. Patent No. 12,031,784 | Extended trigger locking device featuring an upwardly extending deflectable lever arm actuated by direct contact with the cycling bolt carrier. | Atrius Forced Reset Selector |
| Count III | U.S. Patent No. 12,578,159 | Novel firearm mechanism for accelerating firing sequences utilizing multi-mode operations and specific internal sear surface geometries. | Atrius Forced Reset Selector |
| Count IV | U.S. Patent No. 12,636,403 | Structural claim focusing on the physical interaction profiles between hammer hooks, trigger members, and safety selectors. | Atrius Forced Reset Selector |
Indirect and Contributory Infringement
- Inducing Infringement: The suit highlights that the Defendants take active steps to encourage, promote, and capture consumer pre-orders for these assemblies, providing digital product updates and marketing them as specialized “drop-in” upgrades designed to run with mil-spec fire control components.
- Contributory Infringement: Asserts that secondary components distributed by the Defendants—such as standalone selector bars, isolated linkage cams, or specialized internal lever components—are uniquely tailored for an infringing trigger pack configuration and possess no separate, commercially viable, non-infringing use.
Remedy & Relief Sought
The Plaintiffs claim severe, ongoing economic and computational market harm due to these unauthorized digital sales and retail marketing campaigns. They are requesting that the federal court grant the following relief:
- Injunctions: Delivery of both preliminary and permanent injunctions to immediately halt Para Bellum Research Lab LLC, James T. Radke, and any corporate networks acting in concert with them from manufacturing, assembling, advertising, marketing, or selling the Atrius selector kits or adjacent forced-reset parts.
- Damages: Full financial compensation adequate to cover lost retail profits or reasonable market royalties resulting from the design infringement, alongside pre- and post-judgment interest profiles.
- Punitive Multipliers: Requesting that the court treble (triple) the final calculated compensatory damages under 35 U.S.C. § 284 because of the willful and deliberate nature of the patent violations.
- Legal Fees: A declaration that this action constitutes an “exceptional case” under federal law (35 U.S.C. § 285), requiring the Defendants to pay all of the Plaintiffs’ reasonable attorneys’ fees, filing fees, and associated litigation expenses.
