Noah Interactive Electronic Dictionaries Faces Sales Forbidden for Patent Infringement

March 1, 2009

The Noah Education Holding Co. Ltd was ordered to stop producing, selling and to destroy their interactive electronic dictionaries by the Shenzhen Intermediate Court because of patent infringement.

In the middle of November 2008, Noah was sued by the Shenzhen Wanhong Electrical Appliance Co., Ltd. before the Shenzhen Intermediate Court, which alleged that Noah’s interactive electronic dictionaries infringed the patent for Wanhong’s electronic book.

During the trial, Noah did not present any evidence, but only made an oral statement. Noah believed that their products were sold legally and argued to the Court that Wanhong’s patent was invalid, and thus Noah’s products were valid. The Court determined that Wanhong’s patent was indeed valid and should be protected by law. Because Noah produced and sold their products without Wanhong’s permission, their products constituted patent infringement.

On January 25, 2009, the Shenzhen Intermediate Court rejected Noah’s appeal and ordered Noah to stop producing and selling its products, and to destroy their existing products, and ordered Noah to pay 500,000 Yuan in compensation to Wanhong.