USF enters into patent lawsuit against Whirlpool for water dispenser
SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE
The university is in the midst of a patent lawsuit against appliance giant Whirlpool over a dispenser that measures out specific amounts of liquid.
A similar feature is included in Whirlpool and other affiliated companies’ refrigerators. It allows the user to select the exact amount of filtered water they need.
According to the lawsuit, USF received a patent for the technology in December 2007 that was retroactive to April 2003. As part of the lawsuit, USF is demanding Whirlpool stop using the feature and pay damages.
University spokesman Adam Freeman said the school doesn’t comment on pending litigation.
Among the components the lawsuit claims are substantially similar between the two designs are a “smart valve” that measures the flow of water and a “user interface” that controls the system.
Whirlpool is denying the allegations against its products and told 10 News that the company is prepared to dispute the lawsuit.
USF has been ranked in the top 10 public universities in the nation when it comes to patents granted for the past six years and is currently fifth.
According to Fish and Richardson Law Firm, a patent lawsuit in federal court takes approximately 11 months from the time the complaint is filed to the time a decision is issued.
More Stories
USF professors weigh in after US strikes on Iran nuclear sites
Kyle Burke has seen the U.S. enter multiple Middle Eastern conflicts, such as Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003. Still, he said he wasn’t surprised when he saw the U.S. enter another in June. Burke, a USF history professor, has been studying and teaching U.S. foreign relations for nearly two decades. “I had a […]
USF’s presidential search slowed in spring, now resumes with new firm
The USF presidential search committee announced this month its plans to move forward with a new search firm in its pursuit of a new university president. In May, USF spokesperson Althea Johnson told The Oracle that USF would move forward with its presidential search after its initial search firm — SP&A Executive Search — finished […]
USF rocket team takes flight in NASA competition despite challenges
In a field in Alabama, USF Society of Aeronautics and Rocketry members waited for Prometheus — the rocket they’d spent nine months crafting — to take flight. USF’s SOAR was among the 53 teams that launched their rockets for the NASA Student Launch in Huntsville on May 4. The USF team placed 18th after launching […]
USF international students navigate travel under new visa limitations
With a ban restricting visa issuance and entry into the U.S. in effect, USF student Arshia Esmaeilian said he is afraid his parents might not be able to see him graduate next year unless the ban is lifted. “I didn’t really ask for this,” said Esmaeilian, a senior chemistry major. “It’s just something I have […]
USF’s Marshall Student Center to reduce hours amid budget constraints
USF’s Marshall Student Center will operate under reduced hours starting in the upcoming fall semester. New operating hours will go into effect starting on Aug. 17 as listed below: Monday–Thursday: Changing from 7 a.m.–midnight to 8 a.m.–11 p.m. Friday: Changing from 7 a.m.–1 a.m. to 8 a.m.–midnight Saturday: Changing from 8 a.m.–1 a.m. to 8 […]
USF, Crisis Center step up hurricane prep as anxiety lingers from last season
With the arrival of hurricane season in Tampa, USF students – particularly those new to South Florida – may be experiencing increased stress or anxiety after the 2024 season. Running from June 1 to Nov. 30, hurricane season marks the period when tropical storms form and intensify in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National […]