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20 February 2019Patents

Volkswagen faces patent infringement suit

A automotive company, Michigan Motor Technologies, has filed a suit against Volkswagen for allegedly infringing 20 of its patents.

The complaint was filed at the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Southern District on Monday, February 18 against the German automaker.

The patents in dispute cover a range of methods and technologies relating to car engines.

Michigan Motor said Volkswagen had knowingly infringed its patents by using patented technology and methods in the engines of its cars. Some of the Volkswagen-owned car brands named in the suit are Audi, VW Golf and Porsche.

The complaint said Volkswagen’s acts of infringement were with “specific intent or with wilful blindness” because Michigan Motor had sent Volkswagen a letter in March 2015 notifying the company of the patents.

Michigan Motor also accused the automaker of inducing infringement of the patents.

It said Volkswagen did this by selling and importing components into the US which would later be used in car parts which infringed Michigan Motor’s patents.

The claim against Volkswagen comes just three months after a US-based semiconductor company, Broadcom, accused it of infringing 18 of its patents.

The patents cover Broadcom semiconductors which Volkswagen allegedly uses for its navigation and entertainment system in some cars.

Broadcom was reportedly seeking $1 billion from Volkswagen before the companies struck a deal in late November, ending the suit.

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More on this story

Patents
5 November 2018   US-based semiconductor company Broadcom has taken automobile manufacturer Volkswagen to court in Germany over alleged patent infringement.
Trademarks
27 August 2019   The Volkswagen Group has filed a trademark infringement and dilution suit against a car parts retailer, which it says is selling “shoddy goods” and passing them off as genuine.