Thursday, December 31, 2015

"Hoverboard" Patent Litigation


"Hoverboards" as they have become known, have become popular this past year.  As explained in this Wall Street Journal article, the history and intellectual property behind the device is a bit murky.  When it comes to this device, the patent systems in China and the United States interact in interesting ways that are certain to lead to litigation.  It is unclear whether the market for this device will be sustainable due to quality control safety issues and increasing regulation of the device.  Like most consumer electronics it probably has a short shelf life before something new surpasses it in either technology or culturally.  Only time will tell if the impending patent war over this device is worth it.

See also:
http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/patent-system-is-not-the-fire-that-61839/
http://fee.org/anythingpeaceful/the-hoverboards-patent-problem/
http://www.buzzfeed.com/williamalden/bed-bath-and-hoverboards#.kvxlpWweo
http://tech.co/hoverboard-lawsuits-copyright-infringment-2015-12
http://mic.com/articles/131397/the-knockoff-hoverboard-industry-is-exploding-faster-than-its-products
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/12/03/razor-suing-swagway-hoverboard/76744478/
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/16/the-real-reason-hoverboards-are-bursting-into-flames.html#


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