iRobot has decided to sue Hoover, Black & Decker and other popular vacuum manufacturers on charges that they all “used its intellectual property without permission.” Additionally, the company also sued China-based Shenzhen Silver Star Intelligent Technology Co, a company that “manufactures Hoover and Black & Decker vacuums.”
iRobot has decided to sue Hoover, Black & Decker and other popular vacuum manufacturers on charges that they all “used its intellectual property without permission.” Additionally, the company also sued China-based Shenzhen Silver Star Intelligent Technology Co, a company that “manufactures Hoover and Black & Decker vacuums.”
For those who don’t know, iRobot is the company responsible for selling “robot vacuum cleaners under the Roomba brand since 2002.” It wasn’t until 2016 and 2017 that their competitors, Hoover and Black & Decker, began to sell their own “rival products.”
According to the Boston Globe, the company made their announcement on Monday to target Hoover, Black & Decker, Bobsweep and Bissell Homecare in their lawsuits. But how exactly did these well-known brands use the company’s intellectual property without permission? Well, according to the Massachusetts-based manufacturer, its competitors infringed on patents of its “detailing technology and designs for autonomous floor-cleaning bots.”
According to James Baussmann, an iRobot spokesman, filing such a lawsuit against its rivals “signals our commitment to protecting our investments.” In a statement to the Globe, he said, “iRobot will not stand by while others offer products that infringe on our intellectual property.”
So far Hoover and Black & Decker have not responded to requests for comment.
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