The complaint
Minelab Electronics Pty Ltd v. Nokta Muhendislik AS, No. 2:26-cv-00970 (E.D. Tex., Marshall Division), is a 52-page original complaint filed October 29, 2026, with a jury demand. The docket assigns the case to District Judge Rodney Gilstrap. The complaint describes Minelab as an Australian company based in Mawson Lakes, South Australia, that designs, develops, and makes hand-held metal detectors. It alleges, on information and belief, that Nokta Muhendislik AS, which it says also does business as Nokta Detectors, is a Turkish entity based in Istanbul, and that American Detector Distributors is a Texas limited liability company based in North Richland Hills, Texas, and one of Nokta's primary United States distributors.
The complaint pleads venue under 28 U.S.C. 1391(c)(3) as to Nokta, which it describes as not resident in the United States, and under 28 U.S.C. 1391(b) and 1400(b) as to American Detector, alleging, on information and belief, that American Detector has committed acts of infringement in the district and has a regular and established place of business there through its dealer network. It alleges, on information and belief, that Nokta's website dealer locator and American Detector's dealer directory direct buyers to an authorized dealer in the district.
The three patents
The complaint asserts U.S. Patent 11,953,642, titled Metal Detector, issued April 9, 2024; U.S. Patent 8,106,770, titled Metal Detector with Improved Magnetic Soil Response Cancellation, issued January 31, 2012; and U.S. Patent 9,547,065, titled Method for Detecting Fast Time Constant Targets Using a Metal Detector, issued January 17, 2017. The face of each patent lists Minelab as assignee, and the complaint alleges Minelab owns each by assignment. It alleges that Minelab marks its products, including through a patent marking web page, and that its GPZ 7000, GPZ 8000, GPX 6000, and SDC 2300 detectors use the soil-response cancellation technology of the '770 patent.
Claim 1 of the '642 patent recites the body of a hand-held metal detector: an elongated body with a first and second end, and a first connecting structure moulded directly onto the body at the first end through an injection moulding process, with an engaging portion that engages at least one attachment of the detector so that the attachment is supported by the body through that moulded connecting structure.
Claim 1 of the '770 patent recites a method for detecting a target in soil that transmits a signal with high, medium, and low frequency components, receives the resulting magnetic field, and processes the receive signal by selecting coefficients for, in effect, linearly combining its high, medium, and low frequency components into an indicator output signal that is approximately independent of log-linear frequency-dependent and log-uniform resistive signal components from the soil. Claim 13 recites a metal detector configurable to perform those steps.
Claim 1 of the '065 patent recites a method for reducing the minimum delay between the end of a high-to-low voltage transition of a metal detector's transmit signal and the start of demodulation of the receive signal, a delay limited by the time constant of the critically damped receive coil, by connecting a negative capacitance generator to the receive coil to reduce that time constant and reducing the generator's positive feedback at frequencies above the coil's resonant frequency to compensate for the coil's distributed inductances and capacitances. Claim 8 recites a metal detector with a circuit that does the same.
The accused products
The complaint accuses the Nokta Legend 2 and Nokta Magnetar 9000 hand-held metal detectors. It alleges that both infringe at least claim 1 of the '642 patent, with element-by-element charts built from Nokta's website and disassembled units, and that the Magnetar 9000 infringes at least claims 1 and 13 of the '770 patent and claims 1 and 8 of the '065 patent, citing its user manual and Minelab's own measurements and testing. It alleges that Nokta makes, imports, offers, and sells the products in the United States through distributors and dealers, and, on information and belief, that American Detector buys them from Nokta and sells them to dealers and customers, including in Texas.
Notice and willfulness
The complaint alleges that Minelab notified Nokta of the '642 patent on or about June 23, 2026, in a letter identifying the Legend 2, that it identified the Magnetar 9000 on or about August 3, 2026, and that Nokta also knew of the '065 patent before suit from communications with Minelab. It alleges that both defendants had constructive notice through Minelab's virtual marking and that they continued selling the accused products after notice, and it alleges willful infringement of each patent.
The counts and relief
The nine counts allege direct, induced, and contributory infringement of each patent under 35 U.S.C. 271(a), (b), and (c): Counts I to III on the '642 patent, Counts IV to VI on the '770 patent, and Counts VII to IX on the '065 patent. The complaint alleges, on information and belief, that the accused sales have diverted sales from Minelab's competing detectors, and it claims lost profits, including lost sales and price erosion, or in the alternative no less than a reasonable royalty, and enhanced damages under 35 U.S.C. 284 for willfulness. It asks for a declaration that each defendant has infringed each patent directly and indirectly and that the infringement is willful, a permanent injunction, damages with interest, and attorneys' fees, costs, or other damages under 35 U.S.C. 284 and 285.
What to watch next
The docket shows a summons issued October 29, 2026. Watch for service on the Turkish and Texas defendants, answers or Rule 12 motions, and scheduling orders. The case can end at any time, including by settlement or voluntary dismissal.