spwolf

WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - A U.S. administrative judge sided with Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.T: Quote, NEWS , Research), concluding that its hybrid models did not infringe a patent held by a small U.S. company, the International Trade Commission said on Wednesday.

Administrative Law Judge Paul Luckern said the Prius and Highlander, and other Toyota hybrids, do not infringe a patent held by Florida-based Solomon Technologies Inc. (SOLM.OB: Quote, Profile , Research), as Solomon had alleged.

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Luckern's findings are subject to review by the full commission and could ultimately be appealed in federal court.

Solomon CEO Gary Brandt issued a statement saying company officials were disappointed and "will appeal the case aggressively."

Solomon Technologies, which makes electric power drive systems, filed a complaint with the panel last year saying the hybrid transmission in the vehicles infringed its patent related to motor and transmission systems.

If Solomon prevailed, Japan's top automaker could be banned from importing the systems and the Prius and Highlander hybrid models that they power.

In 2006, Toyota sold 191,742 hybrids in the United States, up from 146,560 in 2005, according to figures provided by the company. The 2006 sales include nearly 107,000 Prius hatchbacks, more than 31,000 hybrid Highlander sport utility vehicles, plus hybrid versions of the Toyota Camry, the Lexus RX and Lexus GS.

"When it comes to technological advances that it has pioneered, Toyota defends itself unremittingly," Toyota spokesman Xavier Dominicis said after Luckern's ruling.

Solomon also filed a patent infringement suit against Toyota in federal court in Florida in September 2005. That case was put on hold by the court pending the outcome of the International Trade Commission complaint.


http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...c=66&type=qcna


.... suprise suprise...

Stage3

iTrader: (3)

The one with the deepest pockets will always win a fight like this... I just hope that it was a correct decision based on the facts... not the amount of power one has over the other.

spwolf

huh? Toyota has power over US judge? right on :-).

MR_F1

if it was about the biggest pockets, Toyoyta would just buy Solomon tech. and be done with it....

Koma

iTrader: (3)

Agreed. Toyota knew they weren't going to the lose this fight. They just said "bring it."

IS_Mine

+1

Its not surprising. I was really waiting for osmeone to try it.


"Next week on Montel!
'How Toyota Stole my Interior Lay Out'"

mavericck

I don't know if I'm happy about this ruling, could this be just another case of the bigger more powerful guy picking on the little guy and taking his lunch money and giving him a wedgy in court? Who knows.....

Gojirra99

How do you conclude it's even a legitimate claim of infringement in the first place ? (I admit I don't know the details of the patent & the legal issues behind it)
What about the possibility of a case of a frivolous lawsuit of the little guy trying to sue & get money from anybody that is rich ?

mavericck

That's just the thing, I don't know for sure.

ff_

I don't think mavericck concluded anything. His concern that the case may have been bully vs little guy is not unreasonable at all. This is America, after all. Where greed, wealth, and power give you the upper hand regardless of your position.

TRDFantasy

I am slightly familiar with the case, and in short, Solomon had nothing substantial against Toyota. They made a very broad claim that a large part of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive infringed on certain patents they had. The truth of the matter is, Toyota hold many similar patents.

Lexmex

Having studied patent law in law school and having friends how practice it regularly, they spend a good part of their time trying to chip away at 'prior art' What you just stated occurs all of the time with individuals or small companies trying broad claims in the hopes not necessarily of winning (which is rare), but to put enough of fear in the defendant to settle.

Gojirra99

. . . & where greed + unscrupulous lawyers = frivolous lawsuits are prevalent, that should be cause for concern too.

UberNoob

lets say IF toyota did infringe on the patents and that solomon manages to get synergy system banned from import into the states, i will hate solomon for making us go backwards in terms of technological development and saving the planet

the fact that toyota has gone to court and has been fighting this suit for such a long time means that either theres something we dont know about, toyota did not steal it, or toyota stole it and thinks it has enough money in its pockets to drag this on and fight it out with their corporate lawyers