Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche lined up in ITC patent claim

Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche have been targeted in a patent infringement claim at the US International Trade Commission (ITC) that could land the car makers with an exclusion order.

The complaint, filed by US-based hybrid technology manufacturer Paice, centres on hybrid vehicles that were created using knowledge that Volkswagen allegedly obtained through a previous collaboration with Paice.

Among the accused models are the VW Jetta Hybrid, the Audi A3 e-tron Hybrid and the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid.

In the complaint, Paice asked the ITC to issue an exclusion order that would prohibit the companies from importing the models into the US and claimed that the companies “directly infringe” and induce infringement of several claims in three patents.

The patents are US numbers: 7,104,347; 7,237,634 and 8,214,097, all of which cover hybrid vehicle inventions.

According to the complaint, between 2001 and 2004, Paice’s engineers spent more than 350 days in Germany sharing patented technology with Volkswagen. The complaint added that Volkswagen “after learning everything it needed” did not take out a licence to use Paice’s technology and ended the collaboration.

Volkswagen then passed the information to Audi and Porsche. According to the complaint, the companies share information and technology as they are related companies within the Volkswagen Group.

Robert Oswald, chief executive of Paice, said: “When foreign companies like Volkswagen take American technology, they must be held accountable.

“Paice had a long-term relationship with Volkswagen and shared its hybrid vehicle technology in good faith with the expectation that Volkswagen would do the right thing and lawfully license Paice’s patent rights,” he added.