U.S. could pull plug on Prius imports
U.S. hybrid technology company Paice filed a patent infringement case yesterday claiming Toyota is using technology Paice invented. If the case rules in favor of Paice, an import ban may be imposed on violating products. Sam Eaton reports.
Toyota Motors Tsutsumi factory workers check assembled Prius hybrid vehicles at a factory in Toyota City (Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Getty Images)
More on Sustainability, Auto Industry, Copenhagen
TEXT OF STORY
Steve Chiotakis: Today, Toyota reported it sold more than two million hybrid cars worldwide since it first launched the Prius more than decade ago. But if a patent infringement case filed this week pans out, sales of Toyota's latest suite of hybrids could be banned in its largest market. From the Marketplace Sustainability Desk, Sam Eaton reports.
Sam Eaton: U.S. hybrid technology company Paice claims Toyota's new Prius, hybrid Camry and two Lexus models are using technology Paice invented. The Florida-based company already won a jury verdict against Toyota back in 2005 for patent infringement, and it argues that the technology used in Toyota's new line of hybrids is the same.
On Thursday, Paice filed a patent infringement case with the U.S. International Trade Commission. The agency is set up to protect U.S. markets from unfair trade practices, patents included. If it rules in favor of Paice, the agency could decide to impose an import ban on the violating products. That process could take more than a year.
Toyota isn't commenting, but industry experts say given Toyota's huge market here in the U.S., a substantial fine is a more likely outcome.
In Los Angeles, I'm Sam Eaton for Marketplace.
Comments
Comment | Refresh
Post a Comment: Please be civil, brief and relevant.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. All comments are moderated. Marketplace reserves the right to edit any comments on this site and to read them on the air if they are extra-interesting. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting.
You must be 13 or over to submit information to American Public Media. The information entered into this form will not be used to send unsolicited email and will not be sold to a third party. For more information see Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.