updated 04.01.16 – 3:11EDT —
This was inevitable. As players vie for market share and competitive advantage, it is only a matter of time before the lawyers show up. Today DJI, the leading manufacturer of quadcopter drones, has filed a U.S. patent infringement lawsuit against one of their key competitors, Yuneec in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
DJI is asserting that Yuneec’s products and technology infringe two DJI patents: DJI’s U.S. Patent Numbers 9,164,506, titled “Systems and methods for target tracking,” and 9,280,038, titled “Interchangeable Mounting Platform.”
According to a press release on the issue, DJI states “DJI has invested a substantial amount of resources over the course of nearly a decade into the research and development of UAVs. This investment has generated technology that is fundamental to the future of the UAV and related industrial applications.
and seeks injunctive relief to halt the further sale of the infringing Yuneec products and systems.”
DJI while claiming to welcome competition is also committed to protecting its intellectual property and by extension their customers and partners.
Not surprisingly, DJI holds hundreds of patents worldwide, including ~30 issued in the U.S. and another 50 applications pending.
You can download a copy of the lawsuit here.
Frank Schroth is editor in chief of DroneLife, the authoritative source for news and analysis on the drone industry: it’s people, products, trends, and events.
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[…] patent cases and as defendant in a class-action suit. For example, DJI is current embroiled in a patent infringement claim against competitor Yuneec, asserting that the company infringes on two DJI patents: DJI’s U.S. […]