(Reuters) – British online supermarket group Ocado Group Plc said on Monday it had won a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Norwegian robotics company AutoStore in the International Trade Commission (ITC).
AutoStore had filed the lawsuit last year in both the United States and the United Kingdom, saying it was the inventor and rightful owner of certain patents filed by Ocado.
The ITC’s Chief Administrative Law Judge held three of the four AutoStore patents were invalid while the fourth one was not infringed by Ocado, the British company said in a statement.
The judge also rejected AutoStore’s request for barring Ocado and its partners from making and selling the products involved, and from importing them into the United States.
AutoStore abandoned claims over a fifth patent the night before the trial, Ocado said.
“We have consistently stated that Ocado does not infringe any valid AutoStore IP, and we are pleased that the judge has now agreed with us,” an Ocado spokesperson said.
The supermarket group said it continues to pursue its claims against AutoStore for infringement of its patents in Europe and the United States.
AutoStore was not immediately available for comment outside business hours.
(Reporting by Nishit Jogi in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
