SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DriveCam Inc., a global Driver Risk Management Company, has filed a lawsuit against SmartDrive Systems, Inc. asserting that SmartDrive infringes on a number of U.S. patents that protect products and services developed by DriveCam for the fleet and consumer markets. The suit was filed on May 6, 2011 in the United States District Court, Southern District of California.
Since 1998, DriveCam has invested tens of millions of dollars to create innovative and groundbreaking approaches to managing driver behavior and reducing collision, fuel and maintenance costs associated with risky and inefficient driving. Many of these innovations are protected by the patent laws of the United States. The complaint filed by DriveCam asserts that aspects of SmartDrive’s products and services violate patents that, as described in the complaint, cover foundational technologies relating to running a video-based driver management service, including the technology to obtain exception based video, to effectively review video based events, and to manage a driver risk program that includes the ranking and scoring of drivers. DriveCam is asking the Court to prevent and enjoin SmartDrive from improperly using these patents now and in the future.
Brandon Nixon, Chief Executive Officer at DriveCam, said, “DriveCam has a long history of designing and developing innovative, technology-based solutions that help our clients transform their businesses and achieve high performance. We have a responsibility to our investors, our clients and our employees to vigorously defend our intellectual property rights as we continue to invest in our products and services. We have been forced to take actions to ensure that our intellectual property is not unfairly exploited.”
As detailed in the complaint, DriveCam believes that SmartDrive imported, made, used and sold, or offered for sale, products and services that are covered by U.S. Patents 6,389,340, 7,804,426 and 7,659,827 granted to DriveCam. DriveCam is seeking monetary damages and an injunction to stop SmartDrive from engaging in infringement associated with SmartDrive’s products and services both now and in the future.
About DriveCam Inc.
As proven experts in the science of safe and efficient driving, DriveCam prevents collisions and reduces fuel costs by improving the way people drive. Our solution addresses the causes of poor driving by combining data and video analytics with real-time driver feedback and coaching, resulting in reductions in collision-related costs and fuel consumption in 150,000 commercial vehicles. In addition, DriveCam has monitored and analyzed data from over 3 billion driving miles and holds the world's largest database of risky driving, which is continually used to improve proprietary analytics and deliver insights into transportation industry trends. DriveCam was recently recognized as #30 in The Wall Street Journal’s listing of Top 50 Venture-Backed Companies. For more information, visit www.drivecam.com.