SAN FRANCISCO -- Hangzhou Chic Intelligent Technology, a high-tech company known for its self-balancing scooter, also known as a “hoverboard,” is determined to protect its rights in the technologies for the hoverboard against other companies who are violating Chic’s patent.
Beginning in early August, Chic issued cease and desist letters to more than a dozen retailers for Swagway LLC, demanding they stop patent infringement activities immediately. Some retailers complied, but others continued to sell the products.
"We are pleased that consumers seem to appreciate Chic's patented hoverboard product," said Jiawei Ying, Chic's CEO, in the article. "But, unfortunately, several companies have chosen to infringe Chic's intellectual property to enter this market.”
To stop the infringing activities and prevent further infringement upon Chic's property rights, Chic filed a complaint for patent infringement against Swagway in the U.S. Court for the Northern District of California. Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP, who currently represents Chic in the lawsuit, explained that this is the second lawsuit Chic has initiated against Swagway products.
“The first one was filed in China this July after Swagway repeatedly tried to have infringing products exported to the U.S. In June 2016, Chic intercepted four containers of such products through the Customs,” the article said.
The intercepted products bore the trademark "Swagtron," which is a brand of Swagway, on both the scooters and the packages. In July, Chic again learned that Shenzhen Zhouwu Technology Co. Ltd. attempted to export 2,520 units through Shenzhen Customs. Customs intercepted and stopped the products from exiting the country after communicating with Chic. Chic immediately filed a complaint for patent infringement.
Chic is the only company with complete intellectual property rights and sustainable development capacity in China.
“Supported by continuous research and development capabilities, Chic provides the best self-balancing Hoverboard scooters to customers all over the world,” the company said on its website. Chic's lawsuit seeks monetary damages and a court order to prevent companies from continuing to infringe Chic's patent going forward.
In a previous PRNewswire article published May 2016, Chic's case against the U.S company Razor was the first lawsuit Chic filed asserting its intellectual property rights in the United States.
“Razor imports infringing hoverboards from China and sells them in the United States, activities that seriously infringe Chic's intellectual property rights.” Ying said. "Chic intends to vigilantly protect its intellectual property rights against infringers, and at the same time relentlessly defend itself in the 337 investigation brought by Razor before the ITC.”
Chic is the manufacturer of several models of personal transportation devices and the holder of nearly 150 core intellectual property rights including approximately 70 patents worldwide. Because of their diligence in holding patents for the hoverboard, the company stresses that they are obligated to defend their patents, not only to protect its own intellectual property, but also to protect consumers around the world who love their hoverboard products.