US aerospace company Textron Inc won a $279 million lawsuit against DJI Technology after convincing a federal jury in a Waco, Texas court that the Chinese drone maker knowingly infringed its patents.
In a hearing Monday, April 24, 2023, a jury agreed with subsidiary Textron Innovations Inc after a week-long examination that the DJI drone infringed on two patents related to the drone's flight control system.
A DJI spokesperson said the company "strongly disagrees" with the ruling and will "vigorously pursue all options" to defend its legal rights.
"Textron is a military helicopter company. DJI is a civilian drone company. There is no common ground between the technologies," the statement said.
Textron said in a statement it was "grateful" to have its "history of innovation recognized."
Providence, a Rhode Island-based subsidiary of Textron, sued DJI in 2021 claiming certain types of DJI drones with auto-hovering capabilities work in the same way as their patented technology.
DJI denies the allegations and argues that the patent is invalid.
The US Department of Defense barred Americans from investing in DJI and other Chinese companies last October based on their alleged ties to the Chinese military. DJI said at the time that it "never marketed or sold its products for military use in any country."
