Lego Latest Hit With Patent Suit Over Vending Machine Technology

Lego Group became the latest manufacturer sued for infringement in Automated Vending LLC’s patent-assertion campaign over creating vending machines for its own products.

Lego’s vending machines use methods similar to those described in Automated Vending’s US Patent Nos. 9,245,403 and 9,959,530, according to a complaint filed Monday in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Lego’s machines dispense toys once a customer uses their smartphone to purchase the products through various touchless payment applications, such as Apple Pay, Automated Vending said.

• The ‘403 patent deals with a method of using a network server to control dispensing ...