Chicago, IL (April 14, 2022) – Venable LLP is pleased to announce that on April 4, 2022, our client, ecobee, was the beneficiary of a ruling by Administrative Law Judge Cameron Elliot of the U.S. International Trade Commission in an investigation brought by EcoFactor, Inc. against ecobee. ecobee is a leader in sustainable smart home solutions; it pioneered the smart thermostat space in 2007.
The complaint, filed on February 25, 2021, accused ecobee and others of importing Wi-Fi-enabled smart thermostats that infringed four patents. After an investigation that lasted 13 months, ALJ Elliot published an initial determination in favor of ecobee, finding that there was no violation of Section 337 of the Trade Act. In particular, ALJ Elliot concluded that ecobee did not infringe the asserted patents, that the asserted patents were invalid on multiple grounds, and that EcoFactor failed to satisfy the domestic industry requirement.
The Venable trial team was led by Tim Carroll. "We are pleased to deliver this latest victory for ecobee. This is an important and high-stakes investigation," said Mr. Carroll, a partner in Venable's Patent Litigation Group. Mr. Carroll added that "this is the second time ecobee has been awarded a victory in the ITC against EcoFactor. We are thrilled that ecobee has prevailed through every stage of this and the prior investigation commenced by EcoFactor."
The Venable team representing ecobee was led by Tim Carroll and includes Manny Caixeiro, Megan Woodworth, Steve Lubezny, Catherine Taylor, Dan Apgar, Leslie Lee, and others. EcoFactor was represented in this and a prior unsuccessful investigation by Russ, August & Kabat.
ecobee Inc. was founded in 2007 with a mission to improve everyday life while creating a more sustainable world. Today, ecobee continues to innovate with smart home solutions that solve everyday problems with comfort, security, and conservation in mind. With its products, including the SmartThermostat and SmartCamera, both equipped with voice control, ecobee continues to encourage consumers to imagine what home could be.
The ruling was covered by CityBiz and Attorney at Law Magazine on April 14, 2022, General Counsel News on April 18, and The Lawyers Daily on April 19.
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