SILICON VALLEY and CHICAGO, October 29, 2018: Morgan Lewis recently secured three substantial inter partes review (IPR) victories before the US Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) for Techtronic Industries Power Equipment, a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of power tools, outdoor power equipment, floor care, and appliances.
Across two IPRs, the PTAB found that all claims of the patent related to using smartphone applications to remotely control garage door functions were unpatentable. In the third IPR, the PTAB found that nearly all patent claims asserted by the patent owner, The Chamberlain Group Inc., at the US International Trade Commission were unpatentable. The patent owner asserted that due to alleged infringement of the patent, Techtronic could not import garage door openers that allowed a user to interact with the garage door opener through a wired, wall-mounted control panel.
These wins overcome a serious hurdle impacting Techtronic’s garage door opener business.
The Morgan Lewis team representing Techtronic was led by partners Dion Bregman, Jason White, and Jason Gettleman. Associates Scott Tester and Karon Fowler provided support.