Peloton, iFit hit with US import ban over streaming know-how

By Blake Brittain

(Reuters) -The U.S. Worldwide Commerce Fee (ITC) on Wednesday banned imports of video-streaming health gadgets made by Peloton Interactive Inc and iFit Inc after a choose discovered they infringed Dish Community Corp patents.

In a 2021 criticism filed with the ITC, Dish and its Sling TV unit accused Peloton and iFit of infringing 4 patents for video-streaming know-how by way of imports of merchandise that stream at-home health content material. These included Peloton bicycles and treadmills and iFit NordicTrack bicycles and ellipticals.

ITC Chief Administrative Regulation Decide Clark Cheney sided with Dish in September.

President Joe Biden’s administration has 60 days to evaluation the import ban earlier than it takes impact, although presidents not often reverse such actions. Events may enchantment ITC choices to the U.S. Courtroom of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which critiques patent disputes, after the 60-day evaluation interval ends.

A Peloton spokesperson stated the corporate was disenchanted with the choice and believes it doesn’t infringe the patents, however the ruling will “on no account disrupt service” for its customers.

Representatives for iFit and Dish didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.

Dish and Sling filed lawsuits in Delaware and Texas that have been placed on maintain for the ITC case. Dish had additionally sued Lululemon Athletica Inc over its Mirror video-streaming gadget however the corporations settled their patent battle in February.

Cheney discovered that the Peloton, Lululemon and iFit streaming-capable merchandise infringed patents associated to Dish’s Hopper set-top bins. Dish stated its patents coated adaptive bitrate streaming know-how that lets customers stream content material from around the globe in actual time “on the highest doable high quality”.

The know-how was developed by Transfer Networks Inc and was acquired by Dish in 2012, based on court docket papers.

(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington; Enhancing by Will Dunham, David Bario and Sonali Paul)