Vacuum Makers Dyson, Hoover Settle Lawsuit Oct 10, 2002

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British vacuum maker Dyson Appliances Ltd. said it had accepted a U.S. $6.3 million payment from rival Hoover to settle a long-running copyright dispute.

Dyson has long claimed that Hoover European Group's Triple Vortex bagless vacuum cleaner infringed the patent for Dyson's Dual Cyclone vacuum. In October 2000, the High Court in London sided with the British firm, banned sales of the Hoover cleaner and ordered Hoover to pay damages.

"Having developed new technology, it is important for Dyson to protect patented inventions and defend all patents," said inventor James Dyson, the company's founder.

Hoover, a subsidiary of Candy SpA of Monza, Italy, had argued that the technology behind the Dual Cyclone involved nothing that was not generally known within the industry. But Hoover's bid to appeal was rejected by the Court of Appeal last year. (Reuters)

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