ITC Finds No Section 337 Violation in Smart Thermostat Case, Ends Investigation
The International Trade Commission has ended a Section 337 investigation on smart thermostats and smart HVAC systems (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1258), according to a Federal Register notice to be published June 28.
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On June 22, the commissioners voted to uphold an initial determination by Administrative Law Judge Cameron Elliot (see 2205090034) that found no violation of Section 337. In particular, Elliot noted that complainant EcoFactor failed to establish infringement or validity of all of the patents at issue.
The investigation was based on a February 2021 complaint by EcoFactor that alleged that EcoBee, Google, Carrier, Emerson Electric, Honeywell, Resideo, Johnson Controls and Siemens were infringing on five of its patents concerning remote thermostat operations.