These kinds of lawsuits between companies making similar products seem to be happening more and more frequently, but most are settled quickly. A famous, or infamous one involved the Japan Radio Company (JRC), and ICOM, both makers of ham radio equipment (among other things) In 1979, JRC made their first "consumer" shortwave receiver, the NRD-515. Numerous patents were granted to JRC involving this receiver, and one of them was for the Passband Tuning (PBT) circuit. This is a feature that comes only on better quality receivers and tranceivers, and is amazingly helpful dealing with interference, it works as a kind of a sliding "window" that allows the listener to minimize a signal to one side of the desired one by moving the "window", so the receiver doesn't "see it". It makes a huge difference sometimes, and it was a huge plus for it to be included in a "budget receiver", that cost less than $1000 or so back at that time.
In 1985 Icom introduced the IC-R71A receiver, and it included a PBT circuit very similar to the one used on the NRD-515. The R-71A originally cost less than half what the NRD-515 (App $1400) cost. JRC almost immediately began squawking, and talks went sour, so they finally filed suit. It took a long time to resolve, and Icom lost the case, having to pay JRC so much per receiver, and the same for each new one they made using that circuit. In a truly boneheaded move, Icom just yanked the PBT from the R-71A, totally killing sales of new ones, and making used ones go up in price. The R-71A was a huge seller, and after about a year, Icom cracked and put it back in. When the R71A was discontinued in 1997 or so, it was like $1200, double it's original price, partly due to the JRC lawsuit.
No Icom receiver since has matched the "bang for the buck" as the R-71A. The R75 was popular, but since there are so many used R71A's around, it's hurt R75 sales. Besides that, the R71A looks a lot better and feels more "expensive" than the R75 does.
Hopefully this can be settled soon. I would be shocked if this goes to trial.
