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Concept or invention?
by rougie » Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:09 pm
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Hello,
Last edited by rougie on Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
by bottleslingguy » Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:47 am
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They'll settle and allow them to make the product for a cut:
"To many industry watchers, the lawsuit regarding the Vizia line was no surprise. Lutron, whose RadioRA arguably was the first two-way RF lighting control product to hit the market back in the 1990s, cites four key patents that date back to 1993.
The company sued Control4 last year for patent infringement (that suit is pending) over the manufacturer’s Zigbee-based lighting control products. Control4 says more than 100 thousand units have been sold to custom installers.
Prior to that, Lutron settled a case with Vantage Controls (now Vantage/Legrand) over the same patents. That case, involving Vantage’s RadioLink RF-enabled lighting controls, was settled before it ever went to court, and Vantage continues to make the products in question."
"To many industry watchers, the lawsuit regarding the Vizia line was no surprise. Lutron, whose RadioRA arguably was the first two-way RF lighting control product to hit the market back in the 1990s, cites four key patents that date back to 1993.
The company sued Control4 last year for patent infringement (that suit is pending) over the manufacturer’s Zigbee-based lighting control products. Control4 says more than 100 thousand units have been sold to custom installers.
Prior to that, Lutron settled a case with Vantage Controls (now Vantage/Legrand) over the same patents. That case, involving Vantage’s RadioLink RF-enabled lighting controls, was settled before it ever went to court, and Vantage continues to make the products in question."
What would think!
by rougie » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:18 am
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Hello
Last edited by rougie on Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.
by Road Show » Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:50 pm
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Road Show - Brown Belt
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rougie,
It doesn't matter how the Lutron/Leviton suit plays out...If you have an improvement over an existing Lutron patent, you can obtain a patent on the improvement. You will likely have to pay a royalty to Lutron, but if their patents go back to 1993, the period of time is short; afterward, you can produce your product using their technology for free, but still have IP protection for your improvement.
RSG
It doesn't matter how the Lutron/Leviton suit plays out...If you have an improvement over an existing Lutron patent, you can obtain a patent on the improvement. You will likely have to pay a royalty to Lutron, but if their patents go back to 1993, the period of time is short; afterward, you can produce your product using their technology for free, but still have IP protection for your improvement.
RSG
But if they refuse!
by rougie » Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:31 pm
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Hello
Last edited by rougie on Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
by Road Show » Mon Mar 17, 2008 3:27 pm
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Road Show - Brown Belt
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Yes, they could prevent you from manufacturing any product that infringes their patent. They are not "obliged" to do anything they prefer not to...or, they may have existing deals with other licensees that prevents them from licensing to you.
by Road Show » Thu Mar 20, 2008 1:06 pm
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Road Show - Brown Belt
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Fighting them in court is NOT an option if they have an in-force patent that you want to license. All you can do is find out how to license their patent by calling their in-house legal department. You may not be able to afford the license fees or live up to the conditions to maintain the license.
So lets see....
by rougie » Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:25 pm
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hello
Last edited by rougie on Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
by Road Show » Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:02 pm
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Road Show - Brown Belt
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rougie,
I'm not sure what it is you want...blue sky, or reality check?? If you want to get to market with your improvement on existing products, you have to be realistic. Make a phone call to Lutron's legal department, and you will learn what they will or won't do in terms of licensing their technology to you. You need to approach them in a way that they will want to work with you, but you need to truly understand their thinking. They have already shown that they will spend money defending their patents, this is because they maintain a revenue stream worth protecting. Here is a good article that might help you: Royalty Pros
Good luck!
Road Show
I'm not sure what it is you want...blue sky, or reality check?? If you want to get to market with your improvement on existing products, you have to be realistic. Make a phone call to Lutron's legal department, and you will learn what they will or won't do in terms of licensing their technology to you. You need to approach them in a way that they will want to work with you, but you need to truly understand their thinking. They have already shown that they will spend money defending their patents, this is because they maintain a revenue stream worth protecting. Here is a good article that might help you: Royalty Pros
Good luck!
Road Show
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