A Bump in the Road: Caterpillar Ordered to Pay Wirtgen $12.9 Million in Patent Trial
The federal jury of a U.S. District Court in Delaware reportedly awarded Wirtgen America Inc. (“Wirtgen”) $12.9 million in damages for patent infringement related to road-construction technology.
The damages were awarded as a result of Wirtgen and Caterpillar Inc.’s longstanding dispute concerning several patented road-milling machines used to remove and level asphalt and concrete surfaces.
While Caterpillar Inc. claimed that it did not use Wirtgen’s patented technology and, in fact, countersued, alleging that Wirtgen actually infringed on its own patents, the jury sided with Wirtgen and a further determination that Caterpillar Inc. willfully infringed supported an enhanced damages award.
Although the U.S. International Trade Commission banned the import of Caterpillar’s road-milling machines in 2019 pursuant to separate allegations from Wirtgen, U.S. Customs and Border Protection began permitting remodelled versions to roll back into the country as of 2021.
In light of the decision, Caterpillar Inc.’s representative reportedly stated the company will be considering its legal options moving forward.
Authors: Kasia Donovan and Ayesha Khanna
Authors
Expertise
Insights
-
Intellectual Property Litigation
Rise of Trademark Phishing Scams
There has been a reported surge in trademark phishing scams. The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (“CIPO”) issued a statement warning of an email phishing scam targeting members of the public by… -
Intellectual Property Litigation
The Return of the Honda Element?
A few recent patent applications reveal that the Honda Element may be making its return to the automotive industry: The first patent application is a “camper for a vehicle”. The second… -
Intellectual Property Litigation
"Worldle" Faces a Wordle Hurdle
Kory McDonald, the creator of “Worldle”, a geography-themed game, is advocating on behalf of all games ending in “-le”. Worldle shows a series of Google Street view images from which players… -
Intellectual Property Litigation
Not a “Success Kid”
Steve King, the former Iowa Republican Congressman, has reportedly lost his appeal attempting to overturn a copyright verdict for using the “Success Kid” meme in his 2020 campaign. The “Success… -
Intellectual Property Litigation
All the Corollas of the Rainbow
Toyota has reportedly filed a patent application for a colour-changing paint that changes colour when exposed to specific temperatures and light sources. This technique involves painting the car… -
Intellectual Property Litigation
Alaska Airlines Not Soaring After Losing Appeal
Alaska Airlines (“Alaska”) recently lost an appeal over a trademark licensing agreement at the Court of Appeal in London, in a decision favoring Virgin Group. Alaska was ordered to pay approximately…