Smart-home device company Wyze Labs is suing Chinese consumer electronics giant Xiaomi and robot vacuum maker Roborock in federal court Seattle, seeking to invalidate their 2019 patent for “an autonomous cleaning device.”
At stake is the Amazon listing for Wyze’s own robotic vacuum cleaner. The dispute illustrates the power of Amazon not only as a marketplace but increasingly as a forum for intellectual property disputes.
Wyze, based in Kirkland, Wash., announced its Robot Vacuum last fall. The company says in its July 15 complaint that it received a notice from Amazon on June 7 saying that the holder of U.S. Patent Number 10,271,699, “Autonomous cleaning device and wind path structure of same,” was asserting infringement by Wyze.
A follow-up email from Amazon on June 25 “indicated that, in order for Wyze to continue to sell the accused product on Amazon, Wyze must either resolve the claim with the patent owner directly or agree to participate in Amazon’s Utility Patent Neutral Evaluation Procedure within three weeks,” according to the suit.
The suit adds, “The email indicated that if Wyze did not resolve the claim with the patent owner directly or did not agree to participate in the neutral evaluation process, Amazon would remove the accused product from Amazon.com.”
Xiaomi, a partner and strategic investor in Roborock, is named as one of the assignees of the 2019 patent, which uses the formal name Beijing Rockrobo
Technology Co. Ltd. to refer to Roborock.
Wyze cites four examples of prior art in its complaint in U.S. District Court in Seattle, and asks the court to invalidate the patent.
GeekWire has contacted Wyze and Roborock for further comment.
