Chamberlain's $63M Patent Case

A patent infringement case launched by The Chamberlain Group against the Genie Company and the Overhead Door Corporation has ended. The jury voted to clear both the Overhead Door Corporation and The Genie Company of the allegations of patent infringement. The report filed by the Chamberlain Group in March 2021 stated that the two companies infringed upon their patents that pertain to smartphone garage door opener technology. They extended this claim to the other similar devices that belonged to two companies and their two inventors who came up with the idea of garage door openers. The trial was supervised by Rodney Gilstrap, the United States District Judge.

A patent is handed to an inventor and protects their invention with a set of rights. With a patent, the inventor of the product or technology can control who sells, makes or uses their inventions during the course of a certain period of time. Patent infringement occurs when a prohibited act has been committed with or against the protected invention. This definition is subject to differences depending on where one lives, but it is generally accepted that any interaction with an invention without the express permission of the inventor falls under this category.

In the end, the Chamberlain Group lost $63 million to the companies they took to court. The case also potentially set a precedent for serious consequences for big companies who try to use patents as a weapon against smaller companies.

https://garagedoorchamp.com/chamberlain-group-loses-63m-patent-infringement-case/