{"id":478,"date":"2022-03-02T15:19:53","date_gmt":"2022-03-02T15:19:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/03\/02\/echelon-persuades-uspto-that-pelotons-streaming-tech-is-unpatentable\/"},"modified":"2022-03-02T15:19:54","modified_gmt":"2022-03-02T15:19:54","slug":"echelon-persuades-uspto-that-pelotons-streaming-tech-is-unpatentable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/03\/02\/echelon-persuades-uspto-that-pelotons-streaming-tech-is-unpatentable\/","title":{"rendered":"Echelon persuades USPTO that Peloton\u2019s streaming tech is unpatentable"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2022\/1\/31\/22910520\/peloton-echelon-connected-fitness-streaming-patents<\/a>
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In some more bad news for Peloton, rival Echelon Fitness has persuaded the US Patent and Trademark Office that two of Peloton\u2019s patents related to streaming and on-demand classes aren\u2019t actually patentable. The decision was made last week by the USPTO\u2019s Patent Trial and Appeal Board as they were found to be \u201cobvious inventions<\/a>,\u201d according to Bloomberg Law<\/em><\/a>. While it may not be the biggest blow Peloton has faced in recent months, it does raise questions about the company\u2019s tendency to be heavy-handed with patent lawsuits.<\/p>\n

To back things up, all this came about after Peloton sued Echelon in 2019<\/a> for getting a \u201cfree ride\u201d off its technology and thereby flooding the market with cheaper copycat imitators. If you\u2019ve ever considered buying a connected fitness bike, you\u2019ve probably come across Echelon as a popular Peloton alternative, as they cost a fraction of the price. (Also, Echelon had a kerfuffle with Amazon in 2020 over a supposed partnership to create a $500 Prime Bike<\/a>.) However, once the legal brouhaha began, Echelon countersued and asked that two of the patents in question \u2014 Nos. 10,322,315 and 10,022,590 \u2014 be reviewed. Both relate to a \u201csystem and method for providing streaming and on-demand exercise classes.\u201d In its final decision, the appeal board agreed with Echelon, saying the inventions weren\u2019t unique enough compared to prior patents and therefore shouldn\u2019t have been issued in the first place. You can read the full decisions here<\/a> and here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Obviously, Echelon is pleased with the findings, with CEO Lou Lentine telling the Chattanooga Times Free Press<\/em><\/a> it\u2019s a \u201cbig win\u201d after spending a \u201clot of money fighting these guys.\u201d The Verge <\/em>reached out to Peloton for an official comment but didn\u2019t immediately receive a response. It appears Echelon isn\u2019t willing to let sleeping dogs lie: The company also told The Verge <\/em>in an e-mail that it recently filed a separate counterclaim against Peloton that added allegations that it pushed Affirm into cutting ties with competitors<\/a>, hampering consumer financing efforts, along with other bullying tactics.<\/p>\n

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