It ain't over till it's over, but for now, Toyota has reason to celebrate. A U.S. administrative judge has ruled that Toyota's hybrids don't infringe a patent held by Solomon Technologies, a small Florida-based company, according to the International Trade Commission.
The Prius, the Highlander, and other Toyota hybrids aren't out of the woods yet, since the findings are subject to review by the full commission and then to appeal in federal court. Solomon's CEO says the company "will appeal the case aggressively." A victory by Solomon could block Toyota from importing its hybrid models to the U.S. Without weighing in on the merits of the suit itself (since I Am Not A Lawyer), that might just suck.
[Source: Reuters]
