The International Trade Commission issued a notice terminating a Section 337 investigation on robotic pool cleaners. The commission said it will not review a pair of Feb. 21 initial determinations by Administrative Law Judge Cameron Elliot, which terminated the Aiper entities respondents based on a consent order and the remaining Wybotics respondents based on partial withdrawal of the complaint. The orders left no remaining respondents and so ended the entire investigation.
Ben Perkins
Ben Perkins, Assistant Editor, is a reporter with International Trade Today and its sister publications, Trade Law Daily and Export Compliance Daily, where he covers sanctions, court rulings, and other international trade issues. He previously worked as a trade analyst for a Washington D.C. advisory firm. Ben holds a B.A. in English from the University of New Hampshire and an M.A. in International Relations from American University. Ben joined the staff of Warren Communications News in 2022.
Two separate motions for summary judgment in a case involving allegedly defective plywood were shot down by Court of International Trade Judge Jennifer Choe-Groves in a March 20 opinion. Choe-Groves found that Bral had not sufficiently made a case under the customs regulations that all its imported plywood was defective and should have been appraised at a lower value, but neither had DOJ proven otherwise.
Comments are due to the International Trade Commission by March 28 regarding a potential Section 337 investigation on landscape lighting devices, it said in a notice to be published March 20 in the Federal Register. The request for comments follows a March 10 complaint by New York lighting company Wangs Alliance Corp., doing business as WAC Lighting. The complaint alleges that Ohio-based Hinkley Lighting imports user-adjustable lights and fixtures that infringe on three of WAC Lighting's patents concerning waterproof exterior light fixtures. WAC has asked the ITC for a limited exclusion order and a cease and desist order against Hinkley.
The International Trade Commission will consider a general exclusion order on imported compact wallets (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1355), it said in a Federal Register notice. The ITC announced the of the formal Section 337 investigation March 9, following a February complaint submitted by The Ridge Wallet, a California-based consumer goods company (see 2302100020). Ridge Wallet alleged that two U.S.-based and three Chinese companies continue to import knock-offs of one of Ridge's compact metal wallet designs. Those knock-offs, Ridge said, infringe one of its patents and on its trade dress.
Comments are due March 23 to the International Trade Commission concerning a potential Section 337 investigation on anti-theft shopping cart wheels (ITC Docket No. 3671), it said in a Federal Register notice. The request for comments follows a March 8 complaint by Gatekeeper Systems, a California-based loss prevention and store optimization company. The complaint alleges that Rocateq International, Rocateq USA and Zhuhai Rocateq Technology Company import products that infringe five of Gatekeeper's patents concerning locking and movement systems for shopping carts. Gatekeeper has asked the ITC to issue a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders against the respondents.
Fitness devices with streaming video components that infringe on three patents held by Dish have been barred from entry via a limited exclusion order issued, the International Trade Commission said in a notice (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1265). Infringing equipment manufactured by or on behalf of respondents Icon Health & Fitness, FreeMotion Fitness, NordicTrack, Peloton Interactive, or any of their affiliated companies, falls within the exclusion order, according to the commission's March 8 decision.
Additional force majeure charges imposed by a French seller of pipe-in-pipe assemblies are dutiable as part of the transaction value, CBP determined in a Feb. 23 ruling. The seller claimed the war in Ukraine affected its sourcing and transportation of the materials and, as a result, it imposed the additional force majeure charges through a change order when it was unable to fulfill its signed purchase agreement with KZJV, a U.S. importer.
The International Trade Commission has begun a Section 337 investigation on imported golf club head adapters (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1354), it said in a notice. The probe follows a Feb. 1 complaint by Club-Conex, an Arizona-based company, which alleged that Top Golf Equipment, Volf Sports and WoFu (Shenzhen) Sports Goods are importing club adapters that infringe on one of Club-Conex's patents (see 2302070018). Club-Conex asked the ITC for a permanent limited exclusion order and a cease and desist order barring entry of infringing products from all three respondents, which Club-Conex says are related entities.
Comments are due March 16 regarding a potential International Trade Commission investigation on imported dermatological treatment devices, a Federal Register notice said (ITC docket no. 3670). The notice follows a March 1 complaint by Serendia, which alleged that 15 named respondents import and sell products that infringe six of Serendia's patents. The patents concern methods and items for treating skin tissue using bipolar electrodes in portable devices. Serendia has asked the ITC for a permanent limited exclusion order barring from entry all infringing devices and components manufactured or imported by the respondents or their affiliates along with cease-and-desist orders. The named respondents are:
The International Trade Commission has begun a Section 337 investigation on imported folding truck bed covers, it said in a notice released Feb. 24 (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1353). The initiation followed a Jan. 19 complaint by Extang Corp., Laurmark Enterprises (doing business as BAK Industries) and UnderCover, which asked the ITC for a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders against 21 named respondents (see 2301240006). The complaint alleged 21 companies are importing folding truck bed covers that infringe seven patents held by the complainants relating to latching systems, hinge systems, fluid routing, extension plates and other features.