CALL US: 206.533.3854
CALL US  206.533.3854
AEON law logo on grey background

Power Over Ethernet Patent Fight

Network-1 brings suit
To enforce its patent on:
Ethernet power

Network-1 Security Solutions has brought a patent infringement suit against 16 data networking equipment companies including Dell, HP, Motorola, Samsung, and Sony, seeking monetary damages based upon reasonable royalties.

The suit, filed in the plaintiff-friendly Eastern District of Texas where Network-1 has won earlier victories, involves the company’s Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology.

PoE allows both data and electricity to be delivered over a single Ethernet cable, which saves money and reduces cable clutter.

In 2003, the IEEE (an international standards organization) created the 802.3af PoE Standard, which references one of Network-1’s patents: US Patent No. 6,218,930 (the “Remote Power Patent”), for a method to detect the amount of electricity needed to power specific devices in an Ethernet network.

This same patent, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Remotely Powering Access Equipment Over a 10/100 Switched Ethernet Network,” is at issue in this latest suit.

PoE technology is widely used, and Network-1 has successfully enforced its patent rights in the past. In July, 2010, it settled a case against 3Com, Cisco, and Extreme Networks that yielded $32 million up-front and a likely licensing revenue stream of $80 million until the patent expires in 2020.

PoE technology is used to power devices like wireless switches and access points, VOIP telephones, and network cameras. About 11 companies have licensed the Network-1 ‘930 patent, but hundreds more use PoE technology.

Network-1 Chairman and CEO Corey M. Horowitz made the following statement in a company press release:

We have made repeated efforts, at considerable expense, to license the Remote Power Patent on reasonable terms to companies manufacturing and selling Power over Ethernet technology…. We hope that the remainder of the industry will license our patented technology rather than devote substantial resources to continued litigation.

Related Articles

Is Elon Musk Reading Your Patent Application?

DOGE now has access
To US government docs --
Including patents?
Read More

Copyright Office Says AI Prompts Don’t Confer Authorship

The US Copyright Office has released part two of its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Report. Part one was published in July of 2024 and focused on ...
Read More

Patent Board Rejects Amazon Listing as Prior Art

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board) has found that an Amazon.com product listing doesn’t qualify as “prior art” in an inter partes ...
Read More

Let's work together.

Contact us to set up a meeting with an attorney or team member.

Stay Informed

Sign up to receive Patent Poetry—a monthly roundup of key IP issues in our signature haiku format. Four articles (only 68 syllables); zero hassle.

SECTORS

HIGH
TECHNOLOGY

Artificial Intelligence

Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

Computer Technology & Software

Consumer Electronics

Electrical Devices

MECHANICAL
& PRODUCTS​

Cleantech

Mechanical Devices

Consumer & Retail Products

Hardware & Tools

Toys & Games

LIFE SCIENCES
& CHEMISTRY​

Biotechnology

Chemical Compounds

Digital Health

Healthcare Products

Pharmaceuticals

BRANDING
& CREATIVE​

Books & Publications

Brand Creation

Luxury Products

Photography & Video

Product Design

call us  206.533.3854