September 11, 2012 - The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a jury verdict that will require Vita-Mix Corp., a Cleveland-based manufacturer of blenders, to pay almost $24 million in damages and enhanced penalties to its rival K-Tec Inc.
K-Tec sued Vita-Mix in 2006 for infringing its patents on five-sided blender containers that cause blenders to blend drinks faster than four-sided containers. In 2010, a jury in Utah found for K-Tec and awarded $11 million in lost profits and royalties. After the judge added enhanced damages for willful patent infringement and interest, the award was close to $24 million.
Vita-Mix is not expected to appeal the ruling further, since the company has not used the infringing blender design for several years and it was not used in the design of household blenders.
The $24 million award is thought to be the largest award for patent infringement in Utah's legal history.