From: C. E. White on
Ford settles out of court on hybrid technology patent case
Ursula Zerilli
Automotive News -- July 18, 2010 - 12:01 am ET

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. avoided potentially long-term litigation Friday
after reaching an out-of-court settlement on a patent infringement lawsuit
with Paice LLC.

Both companies filed lawsuits against the other regarding a patented
technology used in hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion sedan and Escape
crossover.

The dispute surrounds the same patent -- U.S. Patent No. 5,343,970 -- that
Paice and Toyota Motor Corp. have been litigating over since 2005. Paice
holds 11 U.S. patents related to hybrid-vehicle technology.

"We are pleased to have reached an amicable resolution," Ford and Paice
executives said in a joint statement. Neither company would comment further.

Paice is an acronym for Power-Assisted Internal Combustion Engines. The
patented technology uses both an internal combustion engine and an electric
motor to supply torque for the vehicle.

Toyota and Paice

In the Toyota case, a U.S. District Court jury in Texas found in 2005 that a
component used in Toyota's hybrids is "equivalent" to a device Paice
patented in 1994. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in May
2008.

The Japanese automaker was ordered to pay royalties to Paice for the Toyota
Prius, Toyota Highlander crossover and Lexus RX400h SUV.

The automaker's efforts to have the case dropped were rejected in May by a
six-member panel of the U.S. International Trade Commission. An ITC hearing
for Toyota is scheduled for July 19. A ban on certain Toyota imports could
result from the case.

Read more:
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100718/OEM05/100719880


From: gnu / linux on
On Jul 19, 6:37 am, "C. E. White" <cewhi...(a)mindspring.com> wrote:
> Ford settles out of court on hybrid technology patent case
> Ursula Zerilli
> Automotive News -- July 18, 2010 - 12:01 am ET
>
> DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. avoided potentially long-term litigation Friday
> after reaching an out-of-court settlement on a patent infringement lawsuit
> with Paice LLC.
>
> Both companies filed lawsuits against the other regarding a patented
> technology used in hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion sedan and Escape
> crossover.
>
> The dispute surrounds the same patent -- U.S. Patent No. 5,343,970 -- that
> Paice and Toyota Motor Corp. have been litigating over since 2005. Paice
> holds 11 U.S. patents related to hybrid-vehicle technology.
>
> "We are pleased to have reached an amicable resolution," Ford and Paice
> executives said in a joint statement. Neither company would comment further.
>
> Paice is an acronym for Power-Assisted Internal Combustion Engines. The
> patented technology uses both an internal combustion engine and an electric
> motor to supply torque for the vehicle.
>
> Toyota and Paice
>
> In the Toyota case, a U.S. District Court jury in Texas found in 2005 that a
> component used in Toyota's hybrids is "equivalent" to a device Paice
> patented in 1994. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in May
> 2008.
>
> The Japanese automaker was ordered to pay royalties to Paice for the Toyota
> Prius, Toyota Highlander crossover and Lexus RX400h SUV.
>
> The automaker's efforts to have the case dropped were rejected in May by a
> six-member panel of the U.S. International Trade Commission. An ITC hearing
> for Toyota is scheduled for July 19. A ban on certain Toyota imports could
> result from the case.
>
> Read more:http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100718/OEM05/100...


equivalent to a device Paice patented in 1994. hmmm (go Fo.Mo.Co.)