ITC opens patent probe into Amazon smart devices

Smart speakers, smart displays, smart televisions, tablets and streaming devices are now in the crosshairs of a federal patent case in Washington. The U.S. International Trade Commission, or ITC, has opened Investigation No. 337-TA-1504 after a complaint from Cerence Operating Company of Burlington, Massachusetts, said the devices infringe five patents.

The practical risk is familiar to companies that sell consumer electronics. If the ITC ultimately agrees with the complaint, it can order remedies that block products at the border or stop sales of goods already in the country.

A fight over devices people actually buy

The notice names Amazon.com, Inc. and Amazon.com Services, LLC as respondents, putting a major retail and device seller directly in the case. Cerence says the alleged infringement involves U.S. Patent Nos. 8,306,815, 9,203,972, 8,320,575, 11,929,073 and 8,355,484.

The commission has not found a violation. For shoppers, the significance is not the legal paperwork itself but the possibility that a product line can become harder to import, harder to stock or harder to sell while the dispute runs its course.