Bosch (Reaxx) Lost Suit to SawStop news

[Handplanesandmore]

On January 27th, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ordered Customs to exclude Bosch Reaxx table saws, and cartridges for those saws, from entering the United States, and the ITC issued an order to Robert Bosch Tool Corporation saying Bosch must “cease and desist from conducting any of the following activities in the United States: importing, selling, marketing, advertising, distributing, transferring (except for exportation), and soliciting United States agents or distributors for imported [Reaxx] table saws.” The ITC has now terminated its investigation against Bosch. (ITC Investigation No. 337-TA-965)

This is from Fine Woodworking dated Feb. 1, 2017

[Patsfan]

Interesting...

I knew Steve Gass was a patent Attorney, but really haven't followed the case closely enough to know what it hinged on.

[Admiral]

There was a prior determination that two of the 4 or 5 patents in issue were infringed by Bosch, subject to further review, which in light of this action, the review has apparently taken place.

[EricU]

I recall that the ITC was Bosch's attempt to do an end run on the patent suit loss.  So it didn't work

[Robert Adams]

Ugh. Another reason I won't spend a penny filling the pockets of that lawyer. Great saw but really... I think I'll start buying more bosch stuff though. 

      Also we wonder why other countries are ahead of us in tech etc. Well this is why.

[JDS30]

+1

This is one of the reasons why I bought a PM2000 instead. Nothing against quality of the saw stop its the fact that he has/is trying to make it law to use his technology only.

[Robert Adams]

+1

This is one of the reasons why I bought a PM2000 instead. Nothing against quality of the saw stop its the fact that he has/is trying to make it law to use his technology only.

Exactly. I would love to buy a Sawstop but I will not.

[Huxleywood]

If you find SS/Gass' business practices repugnant enough to avoid buying them then I suggest you don't do much digging into the practices of most of the companies who's products you prefer to buy.   I am not making a judgment either way nor am I saying one should not avoid any company for any reason they feel warranted but patents, lobbying and lawsuits to protect patents are pretty much business as usually for any company large enough to fund those endeavors.

[JDS30]

My problem isn't with the patents or anything put in place to stop copy cats. My only issue is trying to force the industry to buy only one product. I am all for safety and innovation use those things to let the product sell itself.

[Admiral]

Ugh. Another reason I won't spend a penny filling the pockets of that lawyer. Great saw but really... I think I'll start buying more bosch stuff though. 

      Also we wonder why other countries are ahead of us in tech etc. Well this is why.

I work in the tech industry, and frankly, the US is a global leader, mostly ahead of the curve.  And all technology companies jealously guard and protect their patent portfolio, which provides significant licensing revenue allowing them to recapture their significant R&D expenditures.  For every successful R&D project that results in a successful licensing program, there are a dozen that never pan out.  One in ten (and it might be worse than that) tech startups are successful and the rest eventually fail.  Tech is a research driven business, and expensive research to boot.

Using your logic, you shouldn't buy or use a cellphone with a Qualcomm chip in it, Gass is a piker compared to their tactics, or any Apple product, they are downright abusive with their patent and licensing policies, or any Oracle software, a company notorious for their heavy handed business practices, nor Microsoft software as they are almost as bad as Oracle.  You may not like it, but the truth is that SS is playing the game every other innovator does, and when competitors infringe, they have to be made to pay the price, in this case, lack of access to one of the largest markets in the world.  Either Bosch forgoes the US market, or licenses the SS patents.  Pretty simple economic choice for them.  Next comes the patent infringement lawsuit in Europe, where I am sure SS has been granted numerous patents.

The fact he is a lawyer has nothing to do with anything, and most likely since he is a patent lawyer he has an engineering/science background, which is a prerequisite for taking the patent bar.  So I guess you only hate lawyers with engineering degrees, not all engineers, eh?  Most people "hate" lawyers, until they really need one . . . .