iRobot Files New ITC Patent Infringement Case Against SharkNinja
iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT) has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against SharkNinja at the International Trade Commission (ITC) seeking to bar several SharkNinja robotic cleaning products, including the Shark IQ Robot and Shark AI Robot VACMOP, from entering the U.S. market. Citing infringement of five patents related to core technology, this case adds to an existing lawsuit from 2019. iRobot aims to protect its 1,500 patents and claims that SharkNinja has misappropriated its intellectual property. The ITC is expected to initiate an investigation within 30 days.
- iRobot's proactive legal stance reinforces its commitment to protecting its intellectual property.
- The potential exclusion order could significantly reduce competition in the U.S. robotic cleaning market.
- The ongoing litigation could divert resources and focus away from core operations and product development.
- If SharkNinja products are excluded, it may lead to a prolonged legal battle that could impact iRobot's market position.
BEDFORD, Mass., Jan. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), a leader in consumer robots and maker of the Roomba® robot vacuum, today announced it has filed a new patent infringement action against SharkNinja Operating LLC and its related entities ("SharkNinja") at the International Trade Commission ("ITC"). The new lawsuit asks the ITC to exclude a multitude of SharkNinja robotic cleaning products from entering the United States for infringement of iRobot patents.
iRobot's lawsuit identifies the Shark IQ Robot®, Shark AI Robot VACMOP™, Shark® AI Robot with AI Laser Vision, and Shark Ion® robots as infringing products. The asserted patents span a variety of proprietary iRobot technologies, ranging from digital mapping to core Roomba® technology: (1) U.S. Patent 9,884,423 (docking technology); (2) U.S. Patent 7,571,511 (side brush and hardware features); (3) U.S. Patent 10,813,517 (clean zones); (4) U.S. Patent 10,835,096 (mapping runs and map set-up); and (5) U.S. Patent 10,296,007 (carpet and floor detect technology). Today's lawsuit raises claims in addition to the lawsuit filed by iRobot against SharkNinja in the District of Massachusetts in 2019 for infringement of other iRobot patents and false advertising by SharkNinja in connection with its Shark IQ robot vacuums. Including today's lawsuit, iRobot has now asserted more than ten iRobot patents for infringement against SharkNinja.
"iRobot has accumulated more than 1,500 patents worldwide, which reflects innovative work, tenacity and dedication of our engineering teams over the past 30 years," said Colin Angle, chairman and chief executive officer of iRobot. "SharkNinja has repeatedly misappropriated iRobot's intellectual property, and we refuse to let that stand."
The ITC is expected to review the matter and begin an investigation within 30 days. If the ITC's investigation finds that the accused SharkNinja products infringe iRobot's patents, an exclusion order may issue which would prevent SharkNinja from importing the accused products for sale in the United States. iRobot previously won an exclusion order against multiple respondents at the ITC in 2018. iRobot has also filed a co-pending lawsuit in the District of Massachusetts to recover monetary damages from SharkNinja for its infringement of these five patents.
About iRobot Corporation
iRobot, the leading global consumer robot company, designs and builds robots that empower people to do more both inside and outside of the home. iRobot created the home robot cleaning category with the introduction of its Roomba® Robot Vacuum in 2002. Today, iRobot is a global enterprise that has sold more than 30 million robots worldwide. iRobot's product line, including the Roomba® and the Braava® family of mopping robots, feature proprietary technologies and advanced concepts in cleaning, mapping and navigation. iRobot engineers are building an ecosystem of robots and technologies to enable the smart home. For more information about iRobot, please visit www.irobot.com.
For iRobot Investors
Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical information are forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, iRobot Corporation's expectations concerning management's plans, objectives and strategies, including strategies for defending the Company's intellectual property. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. iRobot undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by iRobot, see the disclosure contained in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, without limitation, our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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SOURCE iRobot Corporation
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