OTTAWA, Ontario — Standard Innovation Corporation, designer and manufacturer of the We-Vibe family of products, has issued a response to LELO’s patent infringement claim filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
According to the company, LELO’s allegation of Standard Innovation’s infringement is based on a U.S. patent for a massager charging mechanism that LELO recently purchased — not something LELO invented itself.
“While common in other industries, this is Standard Innovation’s only experience with or knowledge of patent trolling in the adult novelties industry, and the company views LELO’s lawsuit as an act of retaliation for lawsuits brought by Standard Innovation alleging that LELO’s products infringe Standard Innovation’s pioneering patent covering the We-Vibe products,” Standard Innovation said in a press release. “The lawsuit by LELO does not pertain to Standard Innovation’s patented worn while making love device, rather the lawsuit pertains to the massager charging mechanism of the We-Vibe 3. Standard Innovation will thoroughly assess the situation and take appropriate action.”
On Jan. 8, Judge Thomas Pender of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) released his initial determination in the investigation by the ITC under “Section 337” finding that certain LELO products, including the Tiani, Tiani 2, and Mahana, infringe more than 60 claims of Standard Innovation’s U.S. Patent No. 7,931,605. The ITC is currently scheduled to deliver its final determination on June 7.
Standard Innovation says it is confident that the ITC will uphold its initial determination that the company’s patent is valid and infringed by LELO.
