iRobot Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit in Germany

iRobot has filed a lawsuit in a German court alleging that a robotic vacuum cleaning robot marketed and sold in that country infringes on patents for its Roomba, the company announced today.

CEO Colin Angle said in a statement that the company has made "significant investments to protect its intellectual property." Having sold more than 9 million home robots across the world, the company "intends to protect its patent portfolio by the appropriate means available domestically and abroad," he was quoted as saying.

The lawsuit was filed June 14 against five international companies: Pardus GmbH, Emparanza y Galdos Internacional SA, Elektrogerate Solac Vertrieb GmbH, Electrodomesticos Solac SA, and Celaya. The lawsuit focuses on the German robotic vacuum SOLAC ECOGENIC AA3400, alleging it infringes on five European patents for iRobot's robotic cleaning device, the Roomba.

iRobot says it has 200 U.S. patents and 195 non-U.S. patents within its portfolio, including more than 100 in its home business unit, "many of which" cover the Roomba.

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