UPDATE: December 9, 2022
ClearOne, Inc. (NASD: CLRO) (“ClearOne”) and Shure Incorporated (“Shure”) today jointly announce that they have reached a global settlement of all pending legal disputes. In order to avoid the expense, burden, and uncertainty associated with litigation and to resolve their pending cases against one another, the companies entered into a confidential settlement agreement.
The companies have agreed to file dismissals with prejudice in all pending cases to fully and finally resolve their disputes. Both parties have agreed to release the other party from all claims and to cross-license all patent rights involved with the cases, such that each party will be free to sell their products without restrictions going forward.
The companies have also agreed to cross-license certain additional patent rights and have made covenants not to sue. Certain terms of the agreement between the parties are conditional on court action and/or approval, which the parties will promptly seek. Neither company has admitted any wrongdoing or liability as a condition of settlement.
UPDATE: June 7, 2022
NILES, Ill., June 7, 2022 — A Federal Circuit decision has ruled in favor of Shure on the ‘493 Patent IPR appeal that ClearOne instituted. It was a unanimous ruling for Shure by the panel (including the Chief Judge), and the decision includes costs awarded to Shure. Shure believes that the panel’s unanimous ruling in Shure’s favor is a resounding validation of what Shure invented in its ground-breaking MXA910 product.
In light of the ruling, it is now undisputed that the ‘493 Patent (including certain original and amended claims) is novel, patentable, and enforceable. The Company looks forward to continuing to support our valued customers and end users without further legal interruptions from ClearOne on this.
UPDATE: Nov 4, 2021
Nov 4, 2021: ClearOne today announced that a jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware has found that ClearOne’s innovative Ceiling Tile Beamforming Mic Array line of products do not infringe Shure Incorporated’s U.S. Patent No. D865,723 (the “’723 patent”). The jury also found that the ’723 patent is invalid.
“We are very pleased that the jury found that ClearOne’s BMA CT products did not infringe and invalidated Shure’s patent.” Zee Hakimoglu, president and chief executive officer of ClearOne Shure was using the ‘723 patent to retaliate against ClearOne, and the jury’s verdict validates ClearOne’s refusal to give in to Shure’s tactics.”
Shure responded with the following statement: “Shure is disappointed by the jury’s findings that our ‘723 patent is not valid and was not infringed. We believe the United States Patent Office correctly recognized Shure’s novel design when it issued the ‘723 patent, and ClearOne‘s BMA CT products infringe that design. We intend to appeal both rulings.”
The products that Shure accused of infringement in this case were the BMA CT, BMA CTH (i.e. the COLLABORATE Versa Pro CT, COLLABORATE Versa Lite CT, COLLABORATE Versa Room CT), BMA 360, and BMA-CTX (“Xceed”).
ClearOne and Shure are also involved in litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. In August 2019, Judge Edmond E. Chang of that Court granted ClearOne’s request for a preliminary injunction (“PI Order”) preventing Shure from “manufacturing, marketing, and selling” the original MXA910 for use “in its drop-ceiling mounting configuration.”
Shure responds to preliminary injunction
