Segway seeks import ban on similar products from China
By Andrew Chung (Reuters) - Segway Inc is asking the U.S. International Trade Commission to stop a "widespread pattern of infringement" and block several Chinese companies from importing and selling their own similar two-wheeled transporters in the United States. The products, which carry the brand names Freego, Windrunner, Ninebot, Inmotion and Robstep, infringe four of its patents and "intend ... to largely if not completely mimic Segway's personal transporters in operation," Segway said its filing Tuesday. The self-balancing "personal transporters," as they are known in the industry, still occupy a niche market in the United States. Invented by Dean Kamen, the Segway was first sold to the public in 2002 and gained wide exposure a year later when former U.S. President George W. Bush tried to take one for a spin, only to jump off after losing control. The company was acquired by Summit Strategic Investments in 2013, according to Segway's website. The patents Segway is suing over were issued in 2004 and 2007, and relate to controlling the movement of the scooter while maintaining balance as well as to its design. Segway said in its complaint that several of the accused companies showed off their products at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and that one of them even claimed to have a license from Segway. Representatives of the Chinese companies and Segway could not immediately be reached for comment. Segway has also included in its complaint several U.S. distributors of the allegedly offending products, including North Carolina-based Roboscooters.com, Honolulu-based Tech in the City and Ecoboomer Co of Malibu, California. "We’re distributors and to be honest I don’t know how we got singled out," said Millard Jacobs, CEO of Roboscooters, who sells scooters from Inmotion and Robstep. "We’ve been told by the manufacturers they have their own patents...I didn't see any issue promoting them. They’re quality transporters." The case is Certain Personal Transporters, Components Thereof, and Manuals Therefor, U.S. International Trade Commission, No. DN 3032. (Reporting By Andrew Chung; Editing by Ted Botha and Andrew Hay)
