iRobot accuses foreign competitors of patent infringement

iRobot Corp., the Bedford, Massachusetts-based robot company, recently filed lawsuits against four European companies for allegedly infringing upon patents for the popular Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner.

According to an article in The Boston Globe, the lawsuit named Elektrogeräte Solac Vertrieb GmbH, Electrodomésticos Solac SA Celaya, Emparanza y Galdos Internacional SA and Pardus GmbH as defendants in the case. iRobot claims that the Solac Ecogenic AA3400, a robot vacuum sold in Germany, uses patented technology meant for the Roomba.

Among the features of the Roomba that are patented are its ability to navigate through rooms and around obstacles, and a feature that allows users to set the time at which it will clean.

"iRobot has made significant investments to protect its intellectual property," chief executive Colin Angle said in a statement. "The company has sold more than 9 million home robots worldwide and intends to protect its patent portfolio by the appropriate means available domestically and abroad."

Observers believe that iRobot is seeing increased competition from companies around the world, especially against the Roomba, which explains why imitators may be on the rise.

"Those are relatively simple to make, and there are a lot of copycat products out there," said Philip Solis, research director at ABI Research.

According to the Globe, iRobot sold 1.6 million of its in-home robots in 2012.

American businesses will often face competition abroad when they reach a certain size, which sometimes results in patent infringement. Companies seeking to protect their intellectual property from their competitors should consult with a Phoenix small business attorney.

Categorised in: International Business Law

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