The International Trade Commission (ITC) issued an order on January 27, 2017, barring the import table saws produced by German tool manufacturer, Robert Bosch GmbH (“Bosch”). The ITC determined that the components of Bosch’s REAXX safety technology infringed the two patents held by US-based SawStop LLC (“SawStop”). As described in a press release at the outset of the ITC’s investigation, both the saws produced by SawStop and by Bosch contain active injury mitigation technologies which are able to detect when a user comes into contact with the blade can avoid catastrophic injury.
As the ITC had previously determined that Bosch’s saws infringed two of SawStop’s patents, the ITCs recent order was limited to Bosch’s request that the ITC forego any penalties and permit the continued importation of its saws because: (1) SawStop did not have the manufacturing and distribution capacity to meet US demand and (2) by preventing the import of Bosch’s safer saw, the ITC would be increasing potential injuries to consumers. Indeed, Bosch cited to “millions or billions of dollars” in societal costs for severe injuries from the use of unsafe saws. Ultimately, Bosch’s argument that US consumers should be afforded the ability to buy saws with the latest safety technology (leaving aside the countless antiquated table saws that fill factories and wood shops across the country) was unpersuasive. Further, the ITC appeared to accept that SawStop was capable of meeting demand and ordered that all of Bosch’s infringing saws be excluded.