Comments are due March 23 to the International Trade Commission concerning a potential Section 337 investigation on anti-theft shopping cart wheels (ITC Docket No. 3671), it said in a Federal Register notice. The request for comments follows a March 8 complaint by Gatekeeper Systems, a California-based loss prevention and store optimization company. The complaint alleges that Rocateq International, Rocateq USA and Zhuhai Rocateq Technology Company import products that infringe five of Gatekeeper's patents concerning locking and movement systems for shopping carts. Gatekeeper has asked the ITC to issue a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders against the respondents.
The International Trade Commission will consider a general exclusion order on imported compact wallets (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1355), it said in a Federal Register notice. The ITC announced the of the formal Section 337 investigation March 9, following a February complaint submitted by The Ridge Wallet, a California-based consumer goods company (see 2302100020). Ridge Wallet alleged that two U.S.-based and three Chinese companies continue to import knock-offs of one of Ridge's compact metal wallet designs. Those knock-offs, Ridge said, infringe one of its patents and on its trade dress.
Fitness devices with streaming video components that infringe on three patents held by Dish have been barred from entry via a limited exclusion order issued, the International Trade Commission said in a notice (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1265). Infringing equipment manufactured by or on behalf of respondents Icon Health & Fitness, FreeMotion Fitness, NordicTrack, Peloton Interactive, or any of their affiliated companies, falls within the exclusion order, according to the commission's March 8 decision.
Additional force majeure charges imposed by a French seller of pipe-in-pipe assemblies are dutiable as part of the transaction value, CBP determined in a Feb. 23 ruling. The seller claimed the war in Ukraine affected its sourcing and transportation of the materials and, as a result, it imposed the additional force majeure charges through a change order when it was unable to fulfill its signed purchase agreement with KZJV, a U.S. importer.
Comments are due March 16 regarding a potential International Trade Commission investigation on imported dermatological treatment devices, a Federal Register notice said (ITC docket no. 3670). The notice follows a March 1 complaint by Serendia, which alleged that 15 named respondents import and sell products that infringe six of Serendia's patents. The patents concern methods and items for treating skin tissue using bipolar electrodes in portable devices. Serendia has asked the ITC for a permanent limited exclusion order barring from entry all infringing devices and components manufactured or imported by the respondents or their affiliates along with cease-and-desist orders. The named respondents are:
The International Trade Commission has begun a Section 337 investigation on imported golf club head adapters (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1354), it said in a notice. The probe follows a Feb. 1 complaint by Club-Conex, an Arizona-based company, which alleged that Top Golf Equipment, Volf Sports and WoFu (Shenzhen) Sports Goods are importing club adapters that infringe on one of Club-Conex's patents (see 2302070018). Club-Conex asked the ITC for a permanent limited exclusion order and a cease and desist order barring entry of infringing products from all three respondents, which Club-Conex says are related entities.
The International Trade Commission has begun a Section 337 investigation on imported folding truck bed covers, it said in a notice released Feb. 24 (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1353). The initiation followed a Jan. 19 complaint by Extang Corp., Laurmark Enterprises (doing business as BAK Industries) and UnderCover, which asked the ITC for a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders against 21 named respondents (see 2301240006). The complaint alleged 21 companies are importing folding truck bed covers that infringe seven patents held by the complainants relating to latching systems, hinge systems, fluid routing, extension plates and other features.
Doris Johnson Hines, an intellectual property lawyer, is about to become the newest administrative law judge at the International Trade Commission, according to a Feb. 23 ITC news release. She will begin work on Feb. 27. She currently is a partner at Finnegan and has "extensive experience in intellectual property litigation in both the public and private sectors leading teams in U.S. district courts, the USITC, and before arbitration panels," the announcement said.
The International Trade Commission has ended a Section 337 investigation on imported smart thermostats and load control switches (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1277) after finding no violation, according to a notice. The investigation followed a September 2021 complaint by Causam Enterprises, which alleged Alarm.com, Ecobee, EnergyHub, Itron, Resideo and Xylem were manufacturing and importing devices that infringed four of Causam's patents for power consumption reporting devices (see 2109010021).
The Biden administration won't overturn a limited exclusion order blocking the import of Apple Watches that the ITC found infringe on patents owned by AliveCor, a spokesperson in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative confirmed. AliveCor had said that the USTR told it the administration would not move to block the order during the 60-day presidential review period (see 2302210064). According to AliveCor, this is the first-ever limited exclusion order against Apple to clear presidential review, although the Patent and Trademark Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board recently ruled the underlying patents were invalid. An Apple spokesperson said the exclusion order will have no practical impact as enforcement is on hold pending AliveCor’s appeal of the PTAB ruling to the Federal Circuit.