Overview
Steptoe’s success for Winplus in a patent infringement suit involving windshield wiper blade connectors was covered by Law360 in an article titled “Wiper Blade Co. Escapes Most Infringement Claims By Rival.” On March 10, an Illinois federal judge found all but two infringement claims lodged by a Taiwanese wiper blade manufacturer against Sears and Big Lots over allegedly illegal copies of certain blade connectors are subject to an arbitrations clause in a distribution agreement.
The judge dismissed Scan Top Enterprise’s infringement allegations against its former distributor Winplus, along with Sears and Big Lots, over their continued sale of wiper blade connectors. Specifically, the judge found that counts three through seven in Scan Top’s amended September complaint, including claims of copyright infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, unjust enrichment, fraud and civil conspiracy, all fall under a 2011 distribution agreement between the Taiwanese company and Winplus, according to the order.
The Chicago-based Steptoe team was led by Jay Nuttall, Daniel Stringfield and Randal Alexander.
The full article can be read at Law360 (subscription required).
