https://www.roland.com/RolandComSite/media/global/release/pdf/2022/20221130_1_Judgments_of_patent_infringement_lawsuit.pdfhttps://digitaldrummermag.com/2022/12/01/roland-wins-patent-action-against-alesis/Roland wins patent action against Alesis
Roland has won a legal action in the United States against Alesis parent company inMusic over infringement of its patents.
A Roland statement says judgment was rendered in its favour by the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida in the lawsuit which Roland filed against inMusic Brands, Inc.
Roland filed a patent infringement lawsuit against inMusic in 2016 in the Federal Court for the Central District of California. The case was later transferred to the Federal Court for the Southern District of Florida. Roland alleged that electronic drums and electronic cymbals sold by inMusic under the Alesis brand in the United States infringed several Roland patents.
It is understood the action was prompted by Alesis launch of its Strike Pro kit.
Our report at the time identified eight Roland patents which it claimed inMusic had infringed.
The jury rendered a verdict finding that five of Roland?s patents which inMusic claimed to be invalid were valid, and four of Rolands patents which Roland asserted were infringed were indeed infringed by inMusic.
These four were U.S. Patent No. 6271458 and 6756535 covering electronic drums with mesh heads and 6632989 and 6881885 covering multi-zone electronic cymbals.
The jury ordered inMusic to pay damages of US$4.6 million to Roland as compensation for inMusics infringement.
Roland says it will continue to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights.
digitalDrummer has sought comment on the ruling from inMusic and is also seeking to clarify the status of an inMusic counter-claim, filed in 2017, which asserts that Roland infringed three of its patents.
inMusic attempted to put a permanent stop to Rolands sale of products that it claimed infringe inMusics patented technology and (asked) the Court to require that Roland compensate inMusic appropriately for Rolands unauthorised use of patented inMusic technology.
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island and centres on Rolands PD-140DS digital snare, the VH-13MG hi-hat controller and the KD-A22 acoustic kick conversion product.
inMusic was unsuccessful in obtaining a temporary restraining order and is understood to still be seeking a permanent injunction against Roland as well as compensation for lost profits and treble damages for wilful, deliberate and intentional infringement.
