Shane Michael Johnston v. Guardian Sports LLC

An individual inventor, Shane Michael Johnston, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Guardian Sports LLC, a manufacturer of protective athletic gear. The case, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, alleges that Guardian's "HEADBAND WITH PROTECTIVE INSERT" infringes upon five of Johnston's patents. The plaintiff, Shane Michael Johnston, is listed as an inventor on patents related to impact-absorbing materials and their use in protective headgear, suggesting he is an individual inventor asserting his own intellectual property. The defendant, Guardian Sports LLC, is an operating company based in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, that designs and sells sports safety equipment, including the accused "Guardian LOOP" and "Guardian Cap" products.

The lawsuit targets Guardian's protective headbands, which are designed for use in non-contact and limited-contact sports like flag football, soccer, and lacrosse. These products feature soft-shell technology and are designed to reduce the impact of incidental hits. The plaintiff asserts that these headbands infringe on five U.S. patents. While detailed claim charts are not yet publicly available, the patents generally relate to impact protection technology. A technical sketch of each asserted patent is as follows:

• U.S. Patent No. 10,080,394: Describes an impact shock absorbing material using a shear-thickening layer and a honeycomb-like structure for use in protective gear.
• U.S. Patent No. 10,681,946: Details protective headwear with an open top that includes pockets for receiving protective inserts.
• U.S. Patent No. 11,627,771: Covers a protective head guard made of non-rigid material with reinforced foam layers for sports where hard-shell helmets are not typically worn.
• U.S. Patent No. 12,550,958: Relates to a soft-shell, three-ply padded helmet designed to be lightweight and reduce head trauma.
• U.S. Patent No. 12,016,408: It is unclear what this patent pertains to as there is no public information available for this patent number.

The case was filed in the Northern District of Georgia, a logical venue given that the defendant, Guardian Sports LLC, has its headquarters in Peachtree Corners, Georgia. The case has been assigned to Judge Tiffany R. Johnson. As of May 1, 2026, the case is in its early stages, with the complaint having been filed on April 22, 2026. The case is notable as it represents an individual inventor enforcing his patents against an established company in the growing market for sports safety equipment designed to mitigate head injuries. No parallel inter partes review (IPR) proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board have been identified for the asserted patents. The outcome of this litigation could impact the competitive landscape for soft-shell protective headgear.

Legal Developments in Johnston v. Guardian Sports

As of May 1, 2026, the patent infringement lawsuit filed by individual inventor Shane Michael Johnston against Guardian Sports LLC is in its nascent stages. Key developments have been limited to the initial filings, and the case has not yet progressed to substantive motions, claim construction, or discovery milestones.

Chronology of Key Events:

• 2026-04-22: Complaint Filed
  Shane Michael Johnston filed a complaint for patent infringement against Guardian Sports LLC in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The complaint alleges that Guardian's "HEADBAND WITH PROTECTIVE INSERT" products infringe upon five of Johnston's U.S. patents: 10,080,394; 10,681,946; 11,627,771; 12,550,958; and 12,016,408. The filing accuses Guardian Sports' LOOP headgear, which features protective inserts in pouches, of infringement. A jury trial was demanded. The case was assigned to Judge Tiffany R. Johnson.

• 2026-04-22: Initial Filings
  Along with the complaint, the plaintiff filed a Certificate of Interested Persons and Corporate Disclosure Statement. The court issued a summons for the defendant, Guardian Sports, LLC.

Current Posture and Outlook:

The case is currently pending Guardian Sports' response to the complaint. Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a defendant typically has 21 days to file an answer or other responsive pleading after being served with the summons and complaint. This would place Guardian's deadline in mid-May 2026.

At this early stage, several procedural paths are possible:

• Answer and Counterclaims: Guardian may file an answer admitting or denying the allegations and could assert counterclaims, such as non-infringement, invalidity of the asserted patents, or unenforceability.
• Motion to Dismiss: Guardian could file a motion to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b), for reasons such as failure to state a plausible claim for relief.
• Other Motions: The defendant might also consider motions to transfer venue or to challenge the court's jurisdiction, although given that Guardian is headquartered in Georgia, a motion to transfer is unlikely to succeed.

No substantive rulings have been made by Judge Johnson in this case.

Parallel PTAB Proceedings:

A search of the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) records indicates that no inter partes review (IPR) or post-grant review (PGR) proceedings have been filed to date challenging the validity of the five patents asserted in this litigation. It is common for defendants in patent infringement cases to file IPR petitions seeking to invalidate the asserted patents at the PTAB. Such a filing could lead to a motion to stay the district court case pending the outcome of the PTAB review. However, as of now, the litigation is the sole forum for this dispute.

Plaintiff's Counsel of Record

As of May 1, 2026, the following counsel has made an appearance on behalf of the plaintiff, Shane Michael Johnston. The legal team is from a single firm, indicating a unified litigation strategy at this initial stage.

• Name: Michael J. Fink

  • Role: Lead Counsel
  • Firm: Mike Fink Law, P.C. (Atlanta, GA)
  • Notable Experience: Michael Fink is a registered patent attorney with experience in both patent prosecution and litigation, often representing individual inventors and smaller entities in intellectual property disputes.

• Name: J. Matthew Jakes

  • Role: Of Counsel
  • Firm: Mike Fink Law, P.C. (Atlanta, GA)
  • Notable Experience: Mr. Jakes has a background in commercial and intellectual property litigation, having represented clients in patent, trademark, and copyright infringement cases across various industries.

This information is based on the initial complaint filed on April 22, 2026 (Docket Entry 1), where both attorneys are listed as counsel for the plaintiff. No additional counsel for the plaintiff has formally appeared on the docket.

Defendant representatives

As of May 1, 2026, counsel for the defendant, Guardian Sports LLC, has not yet formally appeared on the docket for case number 1:26-cv-02211 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

The complaint was filed on April 22, 2026, and a summons was issued the same day (Docket Entry 1, 2). Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a defendant typically has 21 days to respond after service of the summons and complaint. Guardian Sports' deadline to file an answer or other responsive pleading, which would include a notice of appearance by its attorneys, is expected in mid-May 2026.

Until a formal appearance is made, the specific attorneys and law firm(s) representing Guardian Sports LLC in this matter remain unknown. Information regarding their legal representation will become public once they file their first document with the court.