INTRODUCTION

• Definition: Dissecting machines, software, and products to understand their design and functionality.
• Purpose: Analyze structure, functionality, and underlying principles.
• Common Uses:
  • Gain insights into competitor products
  • Troubleshoot issues
  • Investigate potential patent infringement
• Patent Infringement: Helps confirm infringement by mapping patent claims to the results of a product teardown when public literature is insufficient.

Initial Assessment and Suspecting Infringement:

• Client Concern: Leading display technology innovator suspected competitor’s product of infringing on their patented display device.
• Objective: Conduct infringement analysis to confirm potential infringement.
• Initial Analysis: Examined patent related to device display and its layers, identified similarities in features and design elements.
• Challenge: Product literature lacked detailed information on layer composition and arrangement needed for infringement verification.
• Additional Findings: Competitor’s research papers described similar technology.
• Action Taken: Decided to perform reverse engineering of the competitor’s display to determine if there is an infringement.

STEPS IN PERFORMING REVERSE ENGINEERING

Acquiring the Potential Infringement Product:

• Step 1: Acquire a sample of the competitor's product suspected of patent infringement.
• Process: Procured the device through legitimate channels.
• Compliance: Ensured adherence to applicable regulations.

Disassembly and Component Analysis:

• Step 2: Disassemble the product and analyze its components.
• Process:
  • Disassembly: Meticulously took apart the device, documenting each step and identifying components.
  • Analysis: Examined circuitry, component structure, and construction techniques.
  • Comparison: Compared findings against the client’s patented claims.
  • Expert Involvement: In-house technology experts conducted a thorough analysis of the display, including its components, layers, and structure.

Documentation and Reporting:

Step 3: Document and report the analysis.

• Documentation:
  • Report: Created a comprehensive report detailing evidence of infringement.
  • Contents: Included annotated diagrams, technical descriptions, and comparative analysis.
  • Claim Chart: Prepared a claim chart showing patent technology use in the product, with color coding and underlining for clarity.
  • Comments: Added analysis comments to aid understanding of each mapping aspect.

Conclusion

Reverse engineering a display device to confirm infringement is a meticulous process that combines technical analysis with legal scrutiny. By thoroughly examining the device’s components and comparing them against the patent claims, we were able to substantiate the infringement. This process not only demonstrated the effectiveness of reverse engineering in intellectual property disputes but also underscored the importance of detailed documentation and expert analysis in supporting legal claims.