Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Following is a link to a news article regarding the up and down sides for Electrolux during this year's first quarter.

http://www.centredaily.com/business/technology/story/553091.html

Best,

Venson

Venson

Hello DIB:

Thanks.  That was about one year after the FUSION was launched at Wal*Mart.  But filing a lawsuit is very common in the USA which is the most litigious society in the world.  Why?  Because we have the most number of lawyers per person.  What was the outcome of the suit?  Would you share here with us?

Carmine D.

This was in an appliance trade magazine:

Terms of the settlement were confidential

Hello Hardsell:

Trade magazine?  Gag order on settlement?  No, I don't think so.  You must be confused.  Very public and widely known and talked about on other Forums.  It amounted to a big zip for dyson and HOOVER all around.  BTW, the FUSION is a sourced vacuum.  Made for HOOVER, not by HOOVER. 

Carmine D.

What do you mean (above)?        DIB

DIB:

The case was dismissed and no jury heard it.  Why?  A change in the patent and copy right laws making it more difficult for the aggrieved parties to prevail and win on copy right and patent infringements in the USA courts.  Nothing happened.  Zip.  Thrown out.

Carmine D.

Carmine,

Hoover’s old business model was, it seems…  If we can’t engineer it (i.e. think outside of the box), then we’ll steal it.  Patents (hard earned inventions) were the issue, not copyrights.        DIB

Links:

http://www.appliancemagazine.com/zones/consumer/06_housewares/news.php?article=1073414&zone=6&first=151

http://www.manatt.com/Attorneys.aspx?id=1831

Thanks for the links and commentary.  Here's my take on the results of the suit based on the information provided and I'm familiar with.

No jury trial, as demanded. 

Settled out of court before arguments given and heard. 

Terms of settlement not disclosed [confidential]. 

In my view, the above is another way of saying both sides got absolutely nothing!  Zip.  And the case for patent infringement by dyson against HOOVER was thrown out. 

If dyson had a case against HOOVER, especially on patent infringement, it would have gone to trial for a jury hearing and a very public award of damages.  IMHO. Why?  That was dyson's previous courses of action in 2 cases involving patent/copyright infringements.  Dyson was awarded pretty hefty sums in those cases and used the money to start and expand its operations.  The cases and awards are very public and widely known in those cases.  Why?  As a deterent for others. 

Not so in the case in question.  It resulted in a no win for dyson.

Carmine D.