Traxxas lawsuit against Hobbico

[limestang]

Apparently Traxxas won a lawsuit against Hobboco/Aarma regarding the laydown shock design. From what I've read, all AARMA trucks with laydown shocks are on hold. It is hurting Tower Hobbies as well. Its a shame and doesnt make much sense. Schumacher had this type of suspension design many years before Traxxas. Anyone have any deeper insight?

https://www.scribd.com/document/320063741/Traxxas-v-Hobbico-Amended-Complaint


-Limestang

[GoMachV]

I’ve seen four items that they sued over- center point steering, the suspension geometry, protective enclosure and one for lighting on a quad. See pics attached.

Here’s the thing- all these have been done before, but they didn’t get patents. We never needed them back in the day- there was integrity. Traxxas has the money to file for these patents.

[RC10resto]

Traxxas must have a short memory...
Most of their 80's & 90's cars were copies / blends of AE, Losi and Kyosho.

[GoMachV]

Haha yep with the best black eye being their first- the Wildcat

[GoMachV]

Have a look at their patents. I’m just in awe. Apparently they are the only company that can use throttle linkage now no wonder nitro is dead

Here’s a full list....
https://patents.justia.com/assignee/traxxas?page=3

[tamiyadan]

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[limestang]

I have some experience with patents from my early days in automationeo design. Patents are only as strong as their claims. Given the prior products with these concepts, Traxxas should be limited to design patents. Design patents have a very narrow scope of protection, and should be easily defeated with the right lawyers. I think other comments are correct, Traxxas has more $ to pay lawyers, making a settlement the most economical. This certainly provides an additional incentive to despise Traxxas

The video above is an eye opener - Makes it a nightmare for anyone doing legitimate innovation. Things were different in the early 90's. Such a shame. I had not heard of the east tx connection before. Thanks for sharing.

[tamiyadan]

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[XLR8]

The gentlemen’s experiences relayed in the video are disturbing. I have both design and utility patents. In general, utility patents can be very specific with regard to level of detail documented within the abstract. They receive a higher level of scrutiny by the USPTO during the review process and can be difficult to finally gain approval. As such, they can also take many months to even years to obtain from the file date to approval (I recall that my one and only utility patent took more than 2 and a half years). Because they are so specific, utility patents can be hard to work around; the attorney who wrote the abstract has left very little to chance. Design patents, on the other hand, are much less technical and typically only protect the general appearance or arrangement of the object or idea. Design patents are typically granted quickly and, as limestang has pointed out, design patents are also relatively easy for someone with a similar idea to work around (i.e. make one small change to the appearance and you have a different object – thus, no patent infringement). Based upon the level of detail contained in the abstract, coupled with the 4 plus years between file and approval dates, the patent for the throttle linkage looks like it could be a utility patent. If Traxxas is in fact obtaining utility patents for such things as a common throttle linkage, then that’s really disturbing.

Edit: I should add that patents aren't free and there are annual maintenance fees that must be paid. And, patents don't last forever.

[AscotConversion]

Perhaps Richard Weatherly of the defunct Tenth Technologies has something to say about the shock design...Of course, Tamiya, Inc may also be interested....

[GoMachV]

If they never filed for patents it wouldn’t matter

[Lonestar]

but really, in a court, with the defendant showing that this design was all over the place even sometimes decades before traxxas' patents, would traxxas' claims hold at all?!?

Also... why pick on hobbico when tower is one of the main (or even THE main) distro's for Traxxas stuff? I don't get it...

[Lonestar]

I mean, c'mon...

https://patents.justia.com/inventor/seralaathan-hariharesan

Bump steer adjustment mechanism for a model vehicle
Publication number: 20060226621
Abstract: A steering mechanism for a model vehicle is provided, having one or more steering actuators, a steering control arm pivotally mounted for rotation relative to a model vehicle chassis, the steering control arm being coupled directly to at least two tie rods, each tie rod controlling the steering of at least one wheel of a vehicle, and each of the one or more steering actuators coupled to the steering control arm to rotate the control arm relative to the vehicle chassis.
Type: Application
Filed: February 6, 2006
Publication date: October 12, 2006
Applicant: Traxxas
Inventors: Brent Byers, Seralaathan Hariharesan

[scr8p]

Do they have patents on fire and the wheel as well?

[jwscab]

i think patent life is 10 years? Maybe they are going through and resubmitting patents on stuff that was created in the early 90's. With most companies whittled down or gone, that leaves a bunch of opportunity.

Speaking of, I have some documents to go write up......

the hobbico thing is really weird.

more than likely, Aarma is starting to take a bite out of traxxas profits with similar vehicles. Que the laywers to bring back some revenue.