Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Dyson sues Samsung for copyright infringement

LONDON - Dyson is suing Samsung for patent infringement, claiming its new range of vacuum cleaners uses technology copyrighted by the British company.

LONDON - Dyson is suing Samsung for patent infringement, claiming its new range of vacuum cleaners uses technology copyrighted by the British company.

Sir James Dyson, the entrepreneur behind the company, attacked the Samsung for “a cynical rip off” that had “forced” him to take the matter to the courts.

The company alleges that the Korean company’s new MotionSync range infringed Dyson patents on how a vacuum cleaner moves. It claims that the steering mechanism on the cleaner - which enables it to travel more easily around corners and table legs, and over carpets - is a direct copy of Dyson’s DC37 and DC39 models, which were introduced last year.

Samsung said the claims were “groundless” and that it would take all necessary measures “to protect our technological innovation”.

“This looks like a cynical rip off by the giant Korean company Samsung. Although they are copying Dyson’s patented technology, their machine is not the same,” Sir James said.

“Samsung has many patent lawyers so I find it hard not to believe that this is a deliberate or utterly reckless infringement of our patent. We have been forced to issue proceedings in the English High Court, but I would much rather invest in research to develop new technology than have to sue.”

Dyson’s models pivot on a central ball rather than with the usual two-wheel design employed by most vacuum cleaners. It says it spent three years developing the design, and that the steering mechanism on vacuum cleaners of this type had been unchanged for decades before its products were developed.

Samsung said: “The Samsung Motion Sync is an outcome of our own extensive research and development.

“We will take all necessary measures, including legal actions, to protect our technological innovation against Dyson’s groundless claims”. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.