BMW convinced an administrative patent tribunal to invalidate a remote engine starter patent, potentially giving the German automaker a leg up in a separate lawsuit accusing it of infringement.
The US Patent Trial and Appeal Board ruled Monday that US Patent No. 9,458,814, which covers a remote engine start control system, is invalid because its claims were obvious from earlier patents.
Omega Patents sued BMW in Georgia federal district court in May 2020, alleging that the automaker’s X5 and X7 SUVs infringe the patent. The case was transferred to a Delaware federal district court in early 2021, where it’s ...