Ford Sued for Patent Infringement on Fuel Injection Used in F-150
TMC Fuel Injection System LLC has filed a lawsuit against Ford Motor Co., accusing the American automaker of infringing on a patent based on the fuel system design used in the F-150 models.
The patent was originally filed in 2002 and according to TMC, Ford allegedly began selling vehicles (including the F-150) which incorporated the patent’s design after the inventor was told by Ford that they had no interest in the technology.
Discussions between the inventor, Shou L. Hou, and Ford began back in 2004 and an attempt at licensing the technology failed in 2008 when the automaker claimed it was not interested in using the technology. TMC is currently seeking a halt to any infringement and seeking compensatory and triple damages.
The patent surrounding the lawsuit is based on a technology that increases the fuel injection dynamic range, helping address performance and fuel waste. The system can offer up to 35-percent in city fuel savings along with a performance boost option for acceleration.
[Source: Automotive News]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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sounds like the whole intermittent windshield wiper fiasco. Ford has a bit of history with theft.