Toyota, Honda sued for patent infringements by U.S. firm
Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. have been sued for patent infringements by American patent firm.
American patent holding company had sued Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. alleging about a dozen patent infringements over their use of communication technologies for connected cars, on 8th December 2021, a familiar source with the matter said.
Intellectual Ventures Management LLC filed lawsuits On October 19 2021, with federal district courts in Texas against the two Japanese firms and U.S. automaker General Motors Co. concerning the use of in-vehicle Wi-Fi networks, among other claims, they said. The proceedings over the patents used in Toyota’s Prius Hybrid and Honda’s Accord Sedan are only relevant to the US market, and even if the court decides in favor of the patent management firm, it will have a direct impact on sales in Japan which is not expected.
Toyota and Honda both refrained from commenting back on the lawsuits. However, patent infringement proceedings highlight the challenges faced by auto and auto parts manufacturers to strengthen their intellectual property management in the face of rapid technological advances.