ITC launches investigation into Caterpillar over road machines
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has announced it will launch a patent infringement investigation into engineering company Caterpillar over road milling machines and components.
It comes on the back of a complaint filed by Wirtgen America, the US subsidiary of German construction company Wirtgen.
The complaint named five defendants, all part of the Caterpillar group.
Caterpillar’s accused products include road milling machines and components such as scrapers, auxiliary drives, height-adjustable lighting columns, milling drum uncoupling functionality and hydraulically stabilised chassis.
Caterpillar has been the world's biggest construction equipment manufacturer for 14 years straight, according to publication International Construction, and genereated revenues of $38.5 billion in 2016.
“The complaint alleges violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the US and sale of certain road milling machines and components thereof that infringe patents asserted by the complainant,” read the ITC statement.
It went on to say that a target date for the completion of the investigation will be set within 45 days of it starting.
The patents in question are US numbers 9,644,340; 9,624,628; 9,656,530; 7,530,641; and 7,828,309.
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