TAMPA, FL – Auction Management Solutions, Inc., creator of the OnLine Ringman auction integration system, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Manheim Auctions, Inc. of Atlanta, and Canadian corporation Live Global Communications of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

The action, which asks for a preliminary injunction against the two companies, was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta.

The lawsuit alleges infringement of AMS Patent No. 6,813,612. Entitled "Remote Bidding Supplement for Traditional Live Auctions," the patent makes certain aspects of the system and process of integrating a live auction audience with a remote auction audience proprietary, meaning they cannot be improperly imitated. The patent won approval in November 2004.

AMS President and CEO Nancy J. Rabenold said that the granting of the patent recognized the work done by her company.

The lawsuits against Manheim and Live Global Communications contend that the two companies are using systems that appear to be similar to AMS's OnLine Ringman, Rabenold said. She said that her company bore the research and development costs for the system and will not allow others to unfairly profit from AMS's innovations.