iRobot Files Patent and Copyright Infringement Lawsuit to Protect Roomba Robotic Floorvac

10 May 2005

iRobot Corp., today announced that the company has filed a lawsuit against Urus Industrial Corp. of Ontario, Canada, and Koolatron, a division of Urus Industrial Corp. Koolatron was a distributor of iRobot's Roomba(R) Robotic Floorvac for 15 months from March 2003 until May of last year, and began selling a "knock-off" version of the original Roomba in March of this year. iRobot is seeking damages and a permanent injunction to prevent the defendants from making, using, selling and offering for sale their Koolvac KV-1 vacuums and the packaging and manuals that accompany them. The lawsuit, filed in the Massachusetts branch of the U.S. District Court, says Koolatron infringed on iRobot's patent, copyright and trade dress rights.

With more than a million Roombas sold to date, iRobot is the world leader in the development and marketing of household robotic floor vacuum cleaners. Roomba's success is due in no small measure to iRobot's outstanding technological achievements and innovative industrial designs. In March 2005, Koolatron began selling Koolvac, a "knock-off" robotic vacuum cleaner that closely resembles the Roomba on Web sites in Canada and the U.S.

iRobot's is not the first lawsuit of this kind against Koolatron. In February 2005, the U.S. Federal Court in California issued a preliminary injunction against Koolatron for infringing Homeland Houseware's Magic Bullet personal blender. Previously, Koolatron had been found liable for infringing Sweeco sweepers.

"Koolvac is a closely studied reproduction that appears to be an attempt to seize a significant part of iRobot's business by copying Roomba," said iRobot's attorney, Glen Weinstein. "The cleaning mechanisms, sensors, look and feel and even the sound of their product mimics Roomba. Yet it doesn't have the quality, or the years of robotics expertise that underlie iRobot's Roomba. iRobot has worked very hard to build the trust with its customers that accompanies a successful brand, and we are concerned that people may think this inferior product is made by our company."

Founded 15 years ago by three of the leading minds in artificial intelligence, iRobot has a long history of innovation. iRobot's intellectual property is the result of its extensive and rigorous research and development programs. The company has over 19 U.S. patents as well as several international patents and over 25 patents pending. During the years of research that led to Roomba, iRobot invested significant time and money in developing breakthrough technology at affordable prices. In addition to the award-winning Roomba, iRobot has developed robots deployed by the U.S. Army to find and destroy land mines and other hazardous materials. These PackBot(R) robots are currently helping to save soldiers' lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

About iRobot Corp.

iRobot has a long commitment to building robotic products that make living safer and easier for people in many walks of life. Over the past 15 years, iRobot has developed and built innovative products for the government, law enforcement, and industrial cleaning industries, as well as the popular line of iRobot Roomba(R) Robotic Floorvacs for the consumer marketplace. In 2003, co-founders Helen Greiner and Colin Angle were named Ernst & Young Regional Entrepreneurs of the Year for their innovative work in technology. iRobot recently received an IEEE/IFR Innovation Award, from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the International Federation of Robotics, for its cutting-edge robotic advancements in the Roomba Discovery Robotic Floorvac. During the past year, iRobot's talent base grew by over 40 percent and the company will continue to hire outstanding talent to meet its business plan. For employment opportunities and other information about iRobot, please visit www.irobot.com.

Source: Business Wire

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