Situation
A high-efficiency induction motor had been powering some of our client’s air conditioners since the 1970s. Nearly two decades later, plaintiff claimed this motor was infringing on his patent, and he sought in excess of $450 million in damages.
Result
Citing the plaintiff’s procrastination in asserting his claim, we obtained summary judgment on behalf of our client. Two federal courts agreed that our client was not at fault because the plaintiff had a duty to investigate the alleged patent infringement but had failed to do so. Our IP litigators made important new law under the doctrine known as laches.