BEDFORD, Mass., June 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), a leader in consumer robots and maker of the Roomba® vacuuming robot, today announced that Administrative Law Judge Thomas Pender issued an initial determination recommending a limited exclusion order in International Trade Commission Investigation No.337-TA-1057 ("In the Matter of Certain Robotic Vacuum Cleaning Devices and Components Thereof Such as Spare Parts"), finding that bObsweep, Inc., bObsweep USA, Hoover, and Shenzhen ZhiYi Technology Co., Ltd. d/b/a iLife have infringed valid claims of iRobot's asserted patents. The bObsweep and Hoover robots are manufactured by Silver Star Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.
As part of the initial determination, Judge Pender found that there is a violation of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, 19 U.S.C. 1337, in the importation into the United States, the sale for importation, or the sale within the United states after importation of certain robotic vacuums in connection with asserted claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,600,553 (the '553 patent); and 9,038,233 (the '233 patent).
As to the '553 and '233 Patents, Judge Pender recommended a limited exclusion order as a remedy to prevent the importation into the United States of infringing robotic vacuum products from iLife, Hoover, and bObsweep, amongst others, into the United States. Judge Pender's initial determination and recommended remedy is now before the ITC Commissioners, with a final determination expected by October 25, 2018. If the recommended remedy is approved by the ITC Commissioners, the exclusion order as to the infringing products will go into effect upon publication of the Commissioners' final determination, regardless of further appeals.
"This determination validates the strength of iRobot's patent portfolio. We are pleased that the judge found several claims infringed and valid for the remaining asserted patents," said Colin Angle, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of iRobot. "We are in the process of reviewing the remainder of the initial determination and determining how to respond. We believe strongly in the validity and strength of our patents and remain committed to stopping infringement of our patented technologies."
About iRobot Corp.
iRobot, the leading global consumer robot company, designs and builds robots that empower people to do more both inside and outside of the home. iRobot created the home robot cleaning category with the introduction of its Roomba® Vacuuming Robot in 2002. Today, iRobot is a global enterprise that has sold more than 20 million robots worldwide. iRobot's product line, including the Roomba and the Braava® family of mopping robots, feature proprietary technologies and advanced concepts in cleaning, mapping and navigation. iRobot's engineers are building an ecosystem of robots and technologies to enable the smart home. For more information about iRobot, please visit www.irobot.com.
For iRobot Investors
Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical information are forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements relating to iRobot Corporation's expectations concerning the litigation. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. iRobot undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by iRobot, see the disclosure contained in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, without limitation, our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
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SOURCE iRobot Corp.
Contacts: Elise Caffrey, Investor Relations, iRobot Corp., (781) 430-3003, ecaffrey@irobot.com; Charlie Vaida, Media Relations, iRobot Corp., (781) 430-3182, cvaida@irobot.com
