SawStop picks a legal fight with Bosch
SawStop, maker of table saws designed to retract when the blade contacts human skin, says it is out to protect its patents.
The Tualatin, Oregon-based company filed complaints at the U.S. International Trade Commission and the U.S. District Court in Oregon against Robert Bosch GmbH of Germany and its subsidiary Robert Bosch Tool Corporation to stop infringement of SawStop’s patented inventions.
In doing so, the Tualatin, Oregon-based company is describing itself as a modern day David in a legal battle with an industry goliath.
“Although Bosch is one of the world’s largest companies with billions of dollars in annual revenue, we will vigorously defend our patent rights,” said SawStop President Stephen Gass.
According to SawStop, Bosch has announced that it intends to release a table saw that incorporates numerous inventions developed and patented by SawStop. As part of the lawsuit, SawStop is asking the ITC to exclude Bosch’s infringing table saws from entry into the United States, and to order Bosch to stop advertising and selling infringing products in the United States.
Bosch responded that it protects its intellectual property, and believes in the righ of other companies to protect thiers.
"The Bosch REAXX Jobsite Table Saw is based on patented innovations done by the Power Tool Institute with advanced development conducted by the engineering team at Robert Bosch Tool Corp. in Mount Prospect, Illinois," said a Bosch spokesman. "This research has resulted in more than a dozen U.S. patents."
Bosch added that it will "defend consumers' rights to buy our products."
SawStop also took a swipe at the industry trade group – the Power Tool Institute -- which SawStop says denied the need for active injury mitigation technology on table saws.
While announcing its legal action, SawStop also painted itself as the American company battling the foreign oppressor.
“A foreign corporation like Bosch, who takes advantage of the American patent system by filing multiple patent applications every day, should respect the patents awarded to others instead of relying on its size and financial resources to disregard those patents,” Guss stated.
SawStop’s technology works by the use of a small electrical signal that is inside the blade. When skin contacts the blade, the signal changes, and the safety system is activated. After that, an aluminum brake springs into the blade to stop it, and power is shut off.
See how the safety feature works here:
“We are proud of the difference our table saws have made in the lives of woodworkers,” said Gass. “SawStop saws have already saved thousands of woodworkers from serious injury. “
It's not the first time SawStop sued major players in the power tool industry. In February of 2014, SawStop filed an antitrust lawsuit against four major toolmakers -- Stanley Black & Decker, Ryobi, Makita and Hitachi. A judge dismissed the suit in June of 2014.
SawStop claimed the companies conspired against SawStop founder Stephen Gass in blocking standardization of the injury-prevention technology.