After CES Booth Raid, Hoverboard Copycat Case Quietly Dropped
Chinese Hoverboard Booth Raided by U.S. Marshals at CES
Future Motion Inc., a company that makes a one-wheeled hoverboard, caused a stir at the Consumer Electronics Show when it convinced federal marshals to raid the booth of a competitor displaying a similar product. Future Motion’s founder said at the time that the raid was necessary to protect his company’s intellectual property and just one step in a long-term battle against knockoffs. But about a month later the company has quietly dropped its case, and the target of the raid is now demanding a cash settlement to reimburse it for lost business and a damaged reputation.
To the naked eye, the OneWheel, made by Future Motion, and the Trotter, by Changzhou First International Trade Co., look pretty much identical. Several people at CES who walked by the Trotter actually mistook it for a OneWheel. Future Motion has two patents related to the OneWheel, a design patent that relates to its physical appearance, and a utility patent that covers the ways that it differs from other hoverboard models.