Ford Knocks Out Trio of MIT, Ethanol Boosting Patents at Tribunal

Ford Motor Co. convinced an administrative tribunal to cancel three Massachusetts Institute of Technology patents covering a system for using ethanol in gasoline engines, benefiting from a Federal Circuit decision that cleared its path.

MIT’s US Patent Nos. 10,619,580; 10,781,760; and 9,708,965 were obvious in light of another patent, prior patent applications, and publications, the Patent Trial and Appeals Board said in three decisions issued Monday.

The university and Ethanol Boosting Systems LLC, a spin-off founded by three MIT researchers, failed to persuade the Federal Circuit to halt two of the validity challenges in March.

The patent owners sued Ford ...