Countermove: Altria Sues Reynolds Over Patent Infringement

Altria Group has filed suit against competitor R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. for patent infringement on e-cigarettes and associated products.

Earlier, Reynolds filed its own patent-infringement suit against Altria and Philip Morris International over their IQOS heat-not-burn cigarette, a competitor of Reynolds’ Eclipse.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, USA, Altria’s suit claims that Reynolds Vapor, owned by Reynolds American Inc. (RAI), violated nine patents held by Altria Client Services in producing its Vuse Vapor e-cigarette line. Altria contends that Reynolds’ Vuse brand of e-cigarettes uses heating technology, mouthpieces, batteries and liquid-filled pods covered by Altria’s patents for its Juul e-vapor products.

“Reynolds Vapor has infringed on Altria’s intellectual property, and we are seeking financial damages for each of these violations,” Altria Client Services spokesman George Parman said Thursday, according to the story.

Altria seeks unspecified monetary compensation but asks for “treble damages” for “defendant’s willful infringement” of the patents, as well as awards of compensation, supplemental damages after discovery cutoff and attorneys’ fees and expenses.