{"id":78786,"date":"2017-02-28T05:15:30","date_gmt":"2017-02-28T10:15:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/?p=78786"},"modified":"2017-02-27T17:43:25","modified_gmt":"2017-02-27T22:43:25","slug":"whirlpool-wins-permanent-injunction-patent-chinese-water-filter-manufacturer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/2017\/02\/28\/whirlpool-wins-permanent-injunction-patent-chinese-water-filter-manufacturer\/id=78786\/","title":{"rendered":"Whirlpool Corporation wins permanent injunction in patent suit against Chinese water filter manufacturer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-70870\" src=\"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/gavel-close.jpg\" alt=\"Gavel closeup\" width=\"213\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/gavel-close.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/gavel-close-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 213px) 100vw, 213px\" \/>On February 16th, Judge <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.txed.uscourts.gov\/page1.shtml?location=info:judge&amp;judge=17\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rodney Gilstrap<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.txed.uscourts.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (E.D. Tex.) entered a consent judgment and a permanent injunction in a patent infringement case targeting replacement water filters marketed in the United States. The order for permanent injunction represents a victory for Benton Harbor, MI-based home appliance developer <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/tag\/whirlpool-patents\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whirlpool Corporation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/finance?q=NYSE:WHR\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NYSE:WHR<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) in taking on makers of replacement filter makers in court.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/fluidic-cartridges.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-78792 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/fluidic-cartridges-242x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"242\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/fluidic-cartridges-242x300.jpg 242w, https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/fluidic-cartridges-80x100.jpg 80w, https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/fluidic-cartridges.jpg 487w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 242px) 100vw, 242px\" \/><\/a>The official complaint in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/search.rpxcorp.com\/litigation_documents\/11901794\" target=\"_blank\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whirlpool Corporation v. Wei et. al.<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was filed in March 2016. The defendants in the case manage business operations for Tianjin Jinghai Yunda Industry and Trade Co., a Chinese manufacturer of water purification and treatment systems. In its suit against Yunda, Whirlpool asserted a series of four utility patents and five design patents. Included among the utility patents are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.freepatentsonline.com\/7000894.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S. Patent No. 7000894<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, titled <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fluidic Cartridges and End Pieces Thereof<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It claims an end piece for operatively engaging a head assembly which has valves, the end piece further being able to treat and control fluid passing through the head assembly. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.freepatentsonline.com\/8356716.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S. Patent No. 8356716<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, titled <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Filter Unit<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It discloses a filter unit with a substantially cylindrical body and a unique engagement protrusion for interfacing with a complementary head assembly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/water-filter.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-78791 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/water-filter-92x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"92\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/water-filter-92x300.jpg 92w, https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/water-filter.jpg 174w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 92px) 100vw, 92px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/patents\/US8413818\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Patent No. 8413818<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, same title as the \u2018716 patent. It discloses a similar cylindrical filter with means for secure engagement of the filter media.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.freepatentsonline.com\/8591736.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S. Patent No. 8591736<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, titled <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Water Filter Unit<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It claims a filter unit with keyed features for interfacing with engagement features on a filter head assembly in a way that creates a tight and secure engagement of the filter unit.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whirlpool\u2019s allegations included the online marketing and sale of replacement water filters through a website operated by Yunda as well as other websites hosted by Alibaba.com. Efforts to market the infringing replacement water filter products include multiple exhibitions at the annual <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wqa.org\/convention\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Water Quality Association Convention<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as well as the distribution of wholesale pricing catalogs to people in the U.S. Screenshots of Yunda\u2019s online marketing show that the replacement filters are marketed as replacements for Whirlpool\u2019s filter products.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In its case, Whirlpool successfully argued that it would be irreparably harmed without the relief of permanent injunction in addition to the settlement agreement, which is executed separately of the court order. The recent court order for permanent injunction also affirmed\u00a0the validity of all four utility patents asserted in the case along with finding that the defendant\u2019s importation and sale of replacement water filters infringed on claims covered by the patents-in-suit.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whirlpool successfully argued that it would be irreparably harmed without the relief of permanent injunction in addition to the settlement agreement, which is executed separately of the court order. The recent court order for permanent injunction also affirmed the validity of all four utility patents asserted in the case along with finding that the defendant\u2019s importation and sale of replacement water filters infringed on claims covered by the patents-in-suit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11764,"featured_media":70870,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[844,7202,7203,845,228,3],"tags":[298,9924,751,2512,33,34,750,2759,3640,6284],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78786"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11764"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78786"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78786\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78786"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ipwatchdog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=78786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}