Echelon persuades USPTO that Peloton’s streaming tech is unpatentable
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge In some more bad news for Peloton, rival Echelon Fitness has persuaded the US Patent and Trademark Office that two of Peloton's patents related to streaming and on-demand classes aren't actually patentable. The decision was made last week by the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Board as they were found to be obvious inventions," according to Bloomberg Law. While it may not be the biggest blow Peloton has faced in recent months, it does raise questions about the company's tendency to be heavy-handed with patent lawsuits.
To back things up, all this came about after Peloton sued Echelon in 2019 for getting a free ride" off its technology and thereby flooding the market with cheaper copycat imitators. If you've ever considered buying a...