Thunder Power EV Patents Affirmed as Invalid by Federal Circuit

  • U.S Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has refused to rehear a decision invalidating three EV patents owned by Hong Kong-based Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Co., Ltd.
  • The patents were previously asserted against Byton North America Corp., a subsidiary of another Chinese-based EV company called Nanjing Byton.

The U.S Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit last month refused to rehear an appeal brought by the Hong Kong-based electric vehicle (EV) company Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Co., Ltd. In refusing the rehearing, the Federal Circuit continued to affirm the findings of a lower court that three EV patents owned by Thunder Power are directed to patent ineligible subject matter and are therefore invalid. The Thunder Power patents appear headed for cancellation – the same fate as four previously invalidated EV patents owned by ChargePoint (see our earlier coverage of the ChargePoint patents here). Continue reading “Thunder Power EV Patents Affirmed as Invalid by Federal Circuit”

Federal Circuit: Four ChargePoint Patents Assserted Against SemaConnect Are Invalid

  • The Federal Circuit upheld an earlier decision by a federal court in Maryland that found four ChargePoint patents to be invalid for claiming inventions that are not eligible for patent protection.
  • The Federal Circuit decision is a victory for electric vehicle charging station manufacturer SemaConnect, who was sued for allegedly infringing the four ChargePoint patents in December 2017.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled last Thursday that four patents owned by ChargePoint, Inc., are invalid. The patents are directed to a networked electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) and were previously held invalid by a federal court in Maryland for claiming inventions that are ineligible for patent protection. ChargePoint had appealed that holding to the Federal Circuit. Continue reading “Federal Circuit: Four ChargePoint Patents Assserted Against SemaConnect Are Invalid”

Federal Circuit to Decide Validity of ChargePoint Patents

  • Oral arguments were heard last Thursday at the Federal Circuit for a patent dispute between electric vehicle charging station rivals ChargePoint, Inc. and SemaConnect, Inc.
  • The Federal Circuit is reviewing an earlier decision by a federal court in Maryland that found four ChargePoint patents to be invalid for claiming inventions that are not eligible for patent protection.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is poised to decide the validity of four key ChargePoint, Inc., patents after hearing oral arguments last Thursday. The patents at issue are directed to a networked electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) and were previously held invalid by a federal court in Maryland for claiming inventions that are ineligible for patent protection. ChargePoint appealed that holding to the Federal Circuit. Continue reading “Federal Circuit to Decide Validity of ChargePoint Patents”

Solar Panel Mounting Patents Found Invalid, Potentially Saving Defendants EcoFasten and SunModo

  • The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found three patents directed to solar panel mounting technology to have defective priority claims. As a result, the allegedly-infringing products sold by EcoFasten and SunModo pre-date the patents, rendering the patents invalid.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently affirmed the invalidity of three patents directed to solar panel mounting technology. The patents are owned by solar installer D Three Enterprises LLC, and were asserted in federal court against SunModo Corporation and Rillito River Solar LLC, which does business under the name EcoFasten Solar. Now that the three patents have been affirmed as invalid, D Three’s lawsuit against SunModo and EcoFasten will potentially be dismissed. Continue reading “Solar Panel Mounting Patents Found Invalid, Potentially Saving Defendants EcoFasten and SunModo”

Federal Circuit Upholds Validity of Philips Patent on Dimmable LEDs

  • The Patent Trial and Appeal Board recently decided that a Philips patent on dimmable LED technology is valid despite a challenge from a competitor. That decision was later affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
  • The patent at issue has been well-litigated, with Philips asserting the patent against numerous competitors in federal courts and at the U.S. International Trade Commission.

A patent directed to dimmable LED technology was upheld as valid in an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The patent is owned by Philips Lighting North America Corporation, a subsidiary of Dutch consumer product giant Koninklijke Philips N.V. The Federal Circuit’s decision marks the unsuccessful conclusion of a challenge to the patent’s validity brought by a competitor of Philips Lighting called Wangs Alliance Corporation, which does business under the name WAC Lighting. Continue reading “Federal Circuit Upholds Validity of Philips Patent on Dimmable LEDs”

Alstom Grid Appeals, Reverses Dominion Energy’s Patent Win

  • Alstom Grid successfully reversed a jury verdict finding that Alstom infringed a Dominion Energy patent directed to smart grid management technology.
  • The appeal was heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which is the federal appeals court that takes all appeals of U.S. patent cases.

Alstom Grid LLC won an appeal at the Federal Circuit after last year suffering a patent trial loss to Dominion Energy, Inc. over smart grid management technology. In overturning the earlier jury verdict, the Federal Circuit stated that “no reasonable jury” could have found Alstom to infringe Dominion’s patent. Continue reading “Alstom Grid Appeals, Reverses Dominion Energy’s Patent Win”

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The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author and are not to be construed as legal advice.

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