Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the human mind, such as inventions, designs, literary and artistic works, names, symbols, and images used in commerce.1 For Electric Mirror, IP may include, but is not limited to, any of the following:

• The invention of new technology.
  • Some examples include Keen and Vive products.
• The visual appearance of products.
  • Some examples include the specific location and shape of the illuminated frost area; the combination and spatial arrangement of a frame, frost pattern and mirror TV; or the layout and overall appearance of the capacitive touch buttons on our lighted mirrors.
• The way in which products are designed, engineered and manufactured.
  • Some examples include the way some lighted mirror chasses are designed or built, the way some lights are arranged in the chasses, and the way capacitive touch buttons control mechanical or electrical functions.
• The names and logos created for products.
  • • Some examples include the name Cameo™ Laser Designs, and our Keen™ logo.

IP is primarily protected by patents, copyrights, and trademarks, which enable people to earn recognition and various financial benefits from what they invent or create. By striking the right balance between the interests of innovators and the public interest in furthering science and technology, the IP system aims to foster an environment in which creativity and innovation can flourish. ¹

Patent infringement is the act of making, using, selling, or offering to sell a patented invention, or importing into the United States a product covered by a claim of a patent without the permission of the patent owner. A company may also be considered to infringe a patent if it imports items into the United States that are made by a patented method, unless the item is materially changed by subsequent processes or becomes a trivial and nonessential component of another product. Further, actively encouraging others to infringe patents, or supplying or importing components of a patented invention, and related acts can also give rise to liability in certain cases.²

The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) is an independent, quasi-judicial Federal agency located in Washington, D.C. with broad investigative responsibilities on matters of trade. Among other tasks, the ITC adjudicates cases involving imports that allegedly infringe intellectual property rights. The ITC is authorized to issue two types of remedial orders—exclusion orders and cease and desist orders. Both types of orders may be issued in the same case. An exclusion order directs the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to prevent infringing products from entering into the United States. A cease and desist order directs a respondent that participated in the ITC’s investigation to cease its unfair acts, including selling infringing imported articles out of U.S. inventory.³

Federal courts include the U.S. District Courts, the U.S. Courts of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. They have jurisdiction over cases that arise under the U.S. Constitution, the laws of the United States and the treaties made under the authority of the United States. Because the U.S. Constitution establishes a patent system to protect inventors, the federal court system hears patent infringement cases. If a patent holder proves that patent infringement has occurred, it may receive financial damages such as royalties or even to cover lost profits for sales it would have made.