NORTHVILLE, MICH. - Amerigon Incorporated, a leader in developing and marketing products based on advanced thermoelectric (TE) technologies, announced that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against the Windsor, Ontario, Canada-based subsidiary of Germany-based W.E.T. Automotive Systems AG.
According to a press release by Amerigon, the complaint filed on November 17, 2009 in the United States District Court for the Central District of California alleges that W.E.T. Automotive Systems infringes four patents owned or licensed by Amerigon. The Amerigon patent portfolio, which relates to thermoelectric systems and technologies, includes United States Patent Nos. 4,923,248; 5,626,021; 7,587,901; and RE38,128, all of which were asserted in the lawsuit against W.E.T. Automotive Systems.
Thermoelectric technologies are the basis of a number of Amerigon current and planned products, including its proprietary Climate Control Seat® (CCS®) system for the automotive market.
Amerigon President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel R. Coker said, "Innovation and creativity are key elements of our business strategy and intellectual property portfolio, and they have enabled us to establish our leadership position as the largest supplier of TE systems for the automotive industry. We are committed to vigorously protecting our Intellectual Property Rights for all of the Company's important innovations.”
Amerigon currently holds or licenses 38 US patents on thermoelectric systems and technologies.
