Nikola (Motors) is Suing Tesla (engadget.com)

An anonymous reader shares a report: Nikola Tesla invented alternating electrical current. Nikola Motors is a mobility company working on a hydrogen-powered semi truck. Tesla makes fully electric vehicles and last December unveiled its EV Semi. Nikola Motors is suing Tesla Motors over patent infringements, according to Electrek. Nikola alleges that Tesla infringes on three of its patents: fuselage design, a wraparound windshield on a semi truck and a mid-entry door. Nikola claims that these design similarities have "caused confusion" among customers and stolen away over $2 billion in business, and that if problems arise with Tesla's Semi (like battery fires or glitches with autonomous driving), they'll be attributed to Nikola. Typical patent troll stuff.

Comments

Re:Patent Trolls

[DarkOx]

Looser pays as blanket rule places to much risk on "little people" being able to sue the well to do.

Joe SixPack highers a perfectly competent but not rock star attorney who charges reasonable rates. Wants to sue oh lets say for fun Donald John Trump Development Corporation. Lets also suppose its a legitimate not so clear cut legal question or contract dispute. DJTDC has a fixed legal staff with time on their hands and every incentive to make the case take as long as possible and explore ever legal avenue and option no matter how absurd; you think its fair to stick Joe with ALL of those costs no matter what unless he wins?

Sure frivolous suits are frivolous, which is why you can counter sue for Barratry and recover your costs and in some localities a judge may simple rule the loser should pay court costs if he/she feels the case was without merit. The system as fair as far as civil suits go. There are problems with patent law for sure but don't assume the rest of the legal system is as broken or a lot of really smart people have not already considered the options, and set things up the way they did for solid reasons.

Re:Patent Trolls

[whoever57]

"Loser pays" doesn't have to be set up that "Rock Star" attorneys are paid their full rates. In fact, in the UK, where this exists, I think it happens some times that the loser only has to pay legal aid rates.

Also, the definition of "loser" isn't so simple as one might think. In the UK, if the defendant offers to settle the case for a certain amount of money and actually pays this money into escrow, then the loser is defined by whether the judge awarded an amount that was larger or smaller than the settlement offer.