What happened to AUL?

[Robert Phillips]

I was on the site yesterday and there were links to the new owners site. Here is the url. I bought some new 2" webbing from AUL about 3 weeks ago and the invoice was from this guy, so he's been in possesion of the company for at least that long.

 

[TTSkipper]

dpvrepair.com is owned by the same person as AUL was, AUL was deincorporated in Dec 2003 due to the lawsuit. dpvrepair.com will continue to sell parts for the existing AUL lights that are out there.

 

[d33ps1x]

How can someone get a patent for using HID lights underwater?

I should patent smoking outdoors or something...Cept I quit.

 

[Scubaroo]

dpvrepair.com is owned by the same person as AUL was, AUL was deincorporated in Dec 2003 due to the lawsuit. dpvrepair.com will continue to sell parts for the existing AUL lights that are out there.

So the Sartek lawsuit forced AUL to cease manufacture, or AUL ceased manufactuer to escape the lawsuit?

 

[TTSkipper]

From the emails I received and what I can infer from them AUL ceased to exist to escape the lawsuit which was upwards of $30 million. I am not sure that the $30 million was against just AUL or all of the light manufacturers that were sued combined. If someone has the knowledge or skill to find the suit somewhere on the web I would be interested in reading it.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I would have a hard time believing that all of the profits from sales of all of the HID lights from all of the companies involved, combined, would equal $30 million. The market's just not that big.

Outside of UK, most of the companies involved aren't really high-volume manufacturers. I think AUL is just the first of several who'll go under as a result of the lawsuit.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)