August 21, 2023 (NEW YORK) – The USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board recently upheld patents for the Virtual Bus Stop technology invented by Via, the global leader in TransitTech, in two successive, unanimous rulings. This innovative and pioneering technology is the foundation for efficient, on-demand dynamic routing for shared ride vehicles, and helped shape the TransitTech category.
Since 2012, Via has been working to reinvent public transit using the proprietary and innovative on-demand transit technology that it has developed over eleven years. The USPTO rulings demonstrate that Via’s Virtual Bus Stop patents (U.S. Patent Nos. 9,816,824 and 10,197,411B2) are novel inventions that are enforceable against infringement in the marketplace overall.
As a result of these rulings, Via will continue to vigorously defend its intellectual property, and press forward with patent infringement litigation in federal court against RideCo. RideCo never sought or secured a license to use Via’s patented technology. Via seeks damages and injunctive relief against RideCo for its intentional and unlawful infringement of Via’s Virtual Bus Stop patents.
“Via’s patented Virtual Bus Stop technology is the foundation for our business, and has greatly contributed to the growth of a category that did not exist prior to this invention,” said Erin Abrams, Chief Legal Officer at Via. “We have always had full confidence in the novelty and non-obvious nature of our patents, and it comes as no surprise that these rulings uphold this fact. We look forward to sending a clear message that while our mission is to continue to see widespread adoption of technology to advance more equitable transportation, infringement of our valuable intellectual property will not be tolerated.”
“We are delighted with the decisions from the Patent Trial and Appeal Board confirming the validity of Via’s patents,” said Jonathan DeFosse, counsel for Via and partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group at Sheppard Mullin. “These decisions help to confirm the strength of Via’s patents related to virtual bus stop technology and Via’s right to enforce its intellectual property.”
About Via:
Founded in 2012, Via pioneered the TransitTech category by using new technologies to develop public mobility systems — optimizing networks of buses, shuttles, wheelchair accessible vehicles, school buses, autonomous vehicles, and electric vehicles around the globe. Building the world’s most efficient, equitable, and sustainable transportation network for all riders — including those with limited mobility, those without smartphones, and unbanked populations — Via works with its partners to lower the costs of public transport while providing transportation options that rival the convenience of a personal car while reducing the environmental impact. At the intersection of transportation and technology, Via is a visionary market leader that combines software innovation with sophisticated service design and operational expertise to fundamentally improve the way the world moves, providing technology in 600 communities and more than 35 countries and counting.
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