BRP willfully infringed Arctic Cat's patents

[Poncho 919]

Puzzyboy to comment.............

http://www.snowgoercanada.com/news-events/latest-news/778-arctic-cat-awarded-triple-damages-of-46-7-million-in-patent-infringement-lawsuit

 

Court rules that BRP willfully infringed Arctic Cat’s patents on safety technology

June 14, 2016 06:20 PM Eastern Daylight Time

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arctic Cat Inc. (NASDAQ: ACAT) announced that a federal court judge for the Southern District of Florida (Miami) awarded triple damages of $46.7 million USD in a patent-infringement suit filed by Arctic Cat against Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (TSE: BBD.B) and BRP U.S. Inc. Initially, a jury awarded Arctic Cat just over $15 million USD on June 1, 2016, after unanimously finding that the defendants willfully infringed all asserted claims in two of Arctic Cat’s patents for an innovative off-throttle assisted steering technology. Arctic Cat’s technology is an important safety mechanism designed to prevent on-water collisions and accidents in personal watercraft (PWC). Today, the federal judge tripled the damages in the case, due to the makers of the Sea-Doo jet propulsion PWC committing willful infringement.

Christopher Metz, Arctic Cat’s president and chief executive officer, stated: “We are very pleased with today’s court ruling. The jury and federal court judge found that each of our patents in this case were valid, and agreed that BRP willfully infringed on our patents over the course of many years.”

The suit concerned a long-standing safety concern in the PWC industry: the inability to steer PWC once the throttle is released, which can occur in emergency situations, particularly for inexperienced riders. Arctic Cat developed a novel and effective off-throttle thrust mechanism to make PWC safer. The technology provides riders with temporary “steerable thrust” when the rider turns in off-throttle situations to help prevent fatalities and injuries from collisions. The United States Patent and Trademark Office awarded Arctic Cat patents for this off-throttle steering technology, entitled “Controlled Thrust Steering System for Watercraft."

At issue in the case were 151,790 model year 2009 through 2015 Sea-Doo personal watercraft. These models infringed 10 claims of Arctic Cat’s U.S. Patent Numbers 6,793,545 (“the ‘545 Patent”) and 6,568,969 (“the ‘969 Patent”). Nicholas Boebel of the law firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP and Aaron Myers, Niall MacLeod and Diane Peterson, co-counsel at Kutak Rock LLP, represented Arctic Cat at trial.

Edited June 15, 2016 by Poncho

[revrnd 276]

Good money for Cat since they probably didn't make that much money off the Tigershark.

Edited June 15, 2016 by revrnd

[Sedz 15]

17 hours ago, revrnd said:

Good money for Cat since they probably didn't make that much money off the Tigershark.

I thought I read somewhere that Tigershark lost cat so much money that even if they received the full amount of the suit they still wouldn't break even.

[Puzzleboy 603]

Funny how Cat will sue for something minor (off throttle steering)...... and yet we don't see BRP suing Arctic Cat for copying an entire PWC!  Or Polaris, or Yamaha for that matter....

[Badger** 329]

9 minutes ago, Puzzleboy said:

Funny how Cat will sue for something minor (off throttle steering)...... and yet we don't see BRP suing Arctic Cat for copying an entire PWC!  Or Polaris, or Yamaha for that matter....

Your not the sharpest tool in the shed are you. Why not Polaris suing all of them over the Snowmobile.  

[Mowhawkcat 20]

skiddo cant design/invent anything on their own .

thats well known.

looks good on them 

[Mikeadoo 434]

On 6/17/2016 at 8:18 PM, Axys1 said:

Your not the sharpest tool in the shed are you. Why not Polaris suing all of them over the Snowmobile.  

"It was only in 1960, when engines became lighter and smaller than before, that Joseph-Armand Bombardier invented what we know as the modern snowmobile in its open-cockpit one- or two-person form, and started selling it under the brand name Ski-Doo. Competitors copied and improved his design."

[Mikeadoo 434]

1 hour ago, Mowhawkcat said:

skiddo cant design/invent anything on their own .

thats well known.

looks good on them 

Forget about the REV platform???  It's the one that everybody else copied.....

[Zambroski 20,266]

4 minutes ago, Mikeadoo said:

Forget about the REV platform???  It's the one that everybody else copied.....

Remember when it was laughed at on the track when it first showed under Blair?  "Concept", "gimmick", "passing fad".......  

[Badger** 329]

1 hour ago, Mikeadoo said:

Forget about the REV platform???  It's the one that everybody else copied.....

The Rev the biggest POS Sled out it was all hype. The Edge was the last of the sit down Sleds and the best of the all the sit down Sleds. 

[StevieWonder 350]

BWAWHAHAHA ............

That's hilarious , so the Rev was all hype , so why are you not still riding a Edge . Oh thats because your riding a rider forward sled now .........Right ....

I've owned alot of Polaris's . And still do , I went from a 800 Edge , to a 05 Fusion . And the Rev Chassis was a game changing sled right from the get go . 

 

You want to be brand loyal that's one thing , but sayin the rev was a POS and hype is ignorant . 

[Mikeadoo 434]

2 hours ago, Axys1 said:

The Rev the biggest POS Sled out it was all hype. The Edge was the last of the sit down Sleds and the best of the all the sit down Sleds. 

If you look under the plastic on your polaris, you will see a pyramid frame....polaris' version of the REV.   Like it or not, Doo changed the industry with the REV and the other manufacturers followed their lead.....thank god or we may still be riding some old tub style POS.

[Badger** 329]

1 hour ago, Mikeadoo said:

If you look under the plastic on your polaris, you will see a pyramid frame....polaris' version of the REV.   Like it or not, Doo changed the industry with the REV and the other manufacturers followed their lead.....thank god or we may still be riding some old tub style POS.

LMFAO It was not Doo that thought of the first stand up sled it was this man he was standing before the Rev was even thought of Ski-Doo just expanded on it.  

[Badger** 329]

5 hours ago, Mikeadoo said:

"It was only in 1960, when engines became lighter and smaller than before, that Joseph-Armand Bombardier invented what we know as the modern snowmobile in its open-cockpit one- or two-person form, and started selling it under the brand name Ski-Doo. Competitors copied and improved his design."

History of the 1st Snowmobile

Carl Eliason of Sayner, WI was a man who spent 31 years inventing and perfecting the “Motor Tobaggan”. He was a man that loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing, & trapping. Carl found it difficult to keep pace with his pals because of a bad foot, so begins his journey to create the first snowmobile. To read Carl’s Story in his own words, please visit: www.eliason-snowmobile.com/summary/carlword.htm 

After completing the initial snow vehicle in the back of his general store, he took a great deal of ribbing from friends. When his first practical working motor toboggan went into production between 1922-26, it was an immediate success. Eliason received many orders and in five years he produced 40 machines, a major feat considering each one was built by hand.

Eliason, a blacksmith and dealer of our modern outboard motors, modified a 2.5 horsepower outboard for his power plant and fashioned the frame from metal heated over a coal stove. Steam for water boiling in the family washtub formed the wooden skis.

He averaged 8 machines a winter and still found time to experiment with projected improvements. In 1932, he introduced a better model that was powered by a converted motorcycle engine. It could go over 40 mph.

They were found extremely useful in northern areas for hunting, trapping and other winter work. He paved the way for other manufacturers.

When visiting Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, we invite you to stop by the Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum to view their Vintage Sleds on Display, learn more about snowmobiling history and browse their numerous items for sale. www.snowmobilemuseum.com

 

[StevieWonder 350]

Hold on a second , he was the first one who thought about riding a sled standing up , wow . 

No I did , it was 1984 , I was a teen , my dads old sled didnt have suspension , so I stood up to ride it over moguls . 

 

And I'm sure guys older than me did too .

now go watch some old snow cross movies and you will see other guys stand up riding .

REV was first " Rider Forward " . 

 

 

 

[Tinker 971]

9 hours ago, Axys1 said:

The Rev the biggest POS Sled out it was all hype. The Edge was the last of the sit down Sleds and the best of the all the sit down Sleds. 

You Norton... are mental case

5 hours ago, Axys1 said:

LMFAO It was not Doo that thought of the first stand up sled it was this man he was standing before the Rev was even thought of Ski-Doo just expanded on it.  

Just like Stevie, he's standing up cuz he had to.

Bombi built the sled nobody else would and Cat n Poo took years to copy it. Fuck me Poo still has a beaver tail 15 years later, FIFTEEN YEARS !! LoL 

 

[revrnd 276]

Didn't the early Poos & Cats still have their motors @ the rear while the 'doos had the motor under the hood?

 

[Badger** 329]

So what your saying is the Doo was the only one that has contributed to the modern day snowmobile what a joke. 

 

First oil injection Yamaha 

First hydraulic break system Polaris 

First slide rail system Arctic Cat 

First IFS front end for the average consumer Arctic Cat 

First EFI I believe was Polaris 

First Plastic ski was Arctic Cat 

First rubber track  Ski-Doo

Forward-Mounted Engine Chassis Design

Until 1966, there had been only three major designs of snowmobile chassis. The original Eliason motor toboggan with the motor in front of the driver and track, the FWD design with the engine mounted behind the driver and on top of the track drive unit, which early Polaris and Arctic Cat models followed and the Bombardier design with the engine mounted on top of the track tunnel and in front of the operator.
Arctic Cat introduced the next major innovation in snowmobile design with its 1966 Panther — a major leap forward in snowmobile design. The chassis was made of aluminum, it sported an advanced version of the company’s revolutionary slide rail suspension and the engine was moved forward and down into the belly pan, in front of the track tunnel.
The new Arctic Cat was truly impressive. The ride was way beyond any other snowmobile of the time and the handling was simply superb for the day. The forward mounting of the engine placed more weight on the skis and balanced out the machine with the weight of the rider. This new engine position also lowered the center of gravity (cg) of the sled, which was a major factor in improving the sled’s handling.
The 1966 Arctic Cat Panther made the entire snowmobile industry refocus on how a snowmobile should be designed. Eventually, all manufacturers gravitated to the Arctic Cat chassis design. The four major snowmobile manufacturers that remain today incorporate the engine-forward design. It’s tough to beat a great design.

http://snowgoer.com/snowmobile-features/snowmobilings-10-most-important-designs/

 

[Mikeadoo 434]

2 hours ago, Axys1 said:

So what your saying is the Doo was the only one that has contributed to the modern day snowmobile what a joke. 

 

 

No....just that Doo invented the REV platform that led the industry to where it is now...

Also, you forgot to add Ski doo's electric reverse to your above list of industry innovations.

All the manufacturers have contributed.

[ArcticCrusher 5,815]

1 hour ago, Mikeadoo said:

No....just that Doo invented the REV platform that led the industry to where it is now...

Also, you forgot to add Ski doo's electric reverse to your above list of industry innovations.

All the manufacturers have contributed.

They are all pretty good.  Got to love the brand loyal folks here, maybe they should own shares in their favorite company.  

[2strokemerc 2,755]

18 hours ago, Axys1 said:

LMFAO It was not Doo that thought of the first stand up sled it was this man he was standing before the Rev was even thought of Ski-Doo just expanded on it.  

No, you're wrong. I was the first to stand up while riding a sled. Got pictures too.

[Puzzleboy 603]

Copying the REV is the biggest patent infringement in snowmobile history.  And Cat sues for off throttle steering.  Lol

The first Polaris snowmobiles had small 4 strokes with the engine on the back.  They were tanks. 

And yet the first Ski-Doos had the engine in the front, a plastic/glass cab, endless rubber track.... you know, like today's sleds.  Polaris didn't really have a "snowmobile" until they blatantly copied Ski-Doo.  

 

Edited June 20, 2016 by Puzzleboy

[bladefever 1,563]

23 hours ago, Mikeadoo said:

If you look under the plastic on your polaris, you will see a pyramid frame....polaris' version of the REV.   Like it or not, Doo changed the industry with the REV and the other manufacturers followed their lead.....thank god or we may still be riding some old tub style POS.

Hmmm. Are you talking about who copied a pyramid frame? 

[bladefever 1,563]

8 hours ago, Axys1 said:

So what your saying is the Doo was the only one that has contributed to the modern day snowmobile what a joke. 

 

First oil injection Yamaha 

First hydraulic break system Polaris 

First slide rail system Arctic Cat 

First IFS front end for the average consumer Arctic Cat 

First EFI I believe was Polaris 

First Plastic ski was Arctic Cat 

First rubber track  Ski-Doo

Forward-Mounted Engine Chassis Design

Until 1966, there had been only three major designs of snowmobile chassis. The original Eliason motor toboggan with the motor in front of the driver and track, the FWD design with the engine mounted behind the driver and on top of the track drive unit, which early Polaris and Arctic Cat models followed and the Bombardier design with the engine mounted on top of the track tunnel and in front of the operator.
Arctic Cat introduced the next major innovation in snowmobile design with its 1966 Panther — a major leap forward in snowmobile design. The chassis was made of aluminum, it sported an advanced version of the company’s revolutionary slide rail suspension and the engine was moved forward and down into the belly pan, in front of the track tunnel.
The new Arctic Cat was truly impressive. The ride was way beyond any other snowmobile of the time and the handling was simply superb for the day. The forward mounting of the engine placed more weight on the skis and balanced out the machine with the weight of the rider. This new engine position also lowered the center of gravity (cg) of the sled, which was a major factor in improving the sled’s handling.
The 1966 Arctic Cat Panther made the entire snowmobile industry refocus on how a snowmobile should be designed. Eventually, all manufacturers gravitated to the Arctic Cat chassis design. The four major snowmobile manufacturers that remain today incorporate the engine-forward design. It’s tough to beat a great design.

http://snowgoer.com/snowmobile-features/snowmobilings-10-most-important-designs/

 

Might need to add to your list

Coupled long travel rear suspension. 

Centralization of mass

Low C /G

Brake disc mounted on drive shaft

Gear to gear drive. No chain or jackshaft

Light weight chassis

Yes you can thanks the Karpik brothers and their building of the Blade. 

[CarlSpackler 23]

2 hours ago, Puzzleboy said:

Copying the REV is the biggest patent infringement in snowmobile history.  And Cat sues for off throttle steering.  Lol

The first Polaris snowmobiles had small 4 strokes with the engine on the back.  They were tanks. 

And yet the first Ski-Doos had the engine in the front, a plastic/glass cab, endless rubber track.... you know, like today's sleds.  Polaris didn't really have a "snowmobile" until they blatantly copied Ski-Doo.  

 

Every engineer in the last 4000+ years has copied the triangle and the pyramid. The fucking ancient greeks and Egyptians were all over it. Go sue King fucking Tut.....