2022-01850. Certain High-Performance Gravity-Fed Water Filters and Products Containing the Same; Notice of Institution of Investigation

AGENCY:

International Trade Commission.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

Notice is hereby given that a complaint was filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission on December 27, 2021, under section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, on behalf of Brita LP of Switzerland. Letters supplementing the complaint were filed on January 10, 2022. The complaint alleges violations of section 337 based upon the importation into the United States, the sale for importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain high-performance gravity-fed water filters and products containing the same by reason of infringement of certain claims of U.S. Patent No. 8,167,141 (“the ’141 patent”). The complaint further alleges that an industry in the United States exists as required by the applicable Federal Statute. The complainant requests that the Commission institute an investigation and, after the investigation, issue a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders.

ADDRESSES:

The complaint, except for any confidential information contained therein, may be viewed on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) at https://edis.usitc.gov. For help accessing EDIS, please email [e-mail]. Hearing impaired individuals are advised that information on this matter can be obtained by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal on [phone]. Persons with mobility impairments who will need special assistance in gaining access to the Commission should contact the Office of the Secretary at [phone]. General information concerning the Commission may also be obtained by accessing its internet server at https://www.usitc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jessica Mullan, Office of Docket Services, U.S. International Trade Commission, telephone [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: The authority for institution of this investigation is contained in section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, 19 U.S.C. 1337, and in section 210.10 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, 19 CFR 210.10 (2021).

Scope of Investigation: Having considered the complaint, the U.S. International Trade Commission, on January 25, 2022, ordered that —

(1) Pursuant to subsection (b) of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, an investigation be instituted to determine whether there is a violation of subsection (a)(1)(B) of section 337 in the importation into the United States, the sale for importation, or the sale within the United States after importation of certain products identified in paragraph (2) by reason of infringement of one or more of claims 1-6, 20-21, and 23-24 of the ’141 patent, and whether an industry in the United States exists as required by subsection (a)(2) of section 337;

(2) Pursuant to section 210.10(b)(1) of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, 19 CFR 210.10(b)(1), the plain language description of the accused products or category of accused products, which defines the scope of the investigation, is “gravity-fed water filters that meet a specified combination of high-performance criteria relating to filter rate and lead volume, lead reduction, and lifetime usage, and water container products that are sold with such filters”;

(3) For the purpose of the investigation so instituted, the following are hereby named as parties upon which this notice of investigation shall be served:

(a) The complainant is:

Brita LP, Faubourg du Lac 11, 2000 Neuchatel NE, Switzerland

(b) The respondents are the following entities alleged to be in violation of section 337, and are the parties upon which the complaint is to be served:

EcoLife Technologies, Inc., 17910 Ajax Cir, City of Industry, CA 91748

Qingdao Ecopure Filter Co., Ltd., No. 13, Yishengbai Road, Environmental Protection Industry Zone, Jimo, Qingdao, Shandong Province, 266201, China

Kaz USA, Inc., 1 Helen of Troy Plaza, El Paso, TX 79912-1150

Helen of Troy Limited, 1 Helen of Troy Plaza, El Paso, TX 79912-1150

Zero Technologies, LLC, 7 Neshaminy Interplex, Suite 116, Trevose, PA 19053

Culligan International Co., 9399 W Higgins Rd., Rosemont, IL 60018

Vestergaard Frandsen Inc., 333 W Ostend St., Suite 300, Baltimore, MD 21230

Mavea LLC, 1800 Blakenship Road, Suite 200, West Linn, OR 97068

Brita GmbH, Heinrich-Hertz-Str. 4, 65232 Taunusstein, Germany

(4) For the investigation so instituted, the Chief Administrative Law Judge, U.S. International Trade Commission, shall designate the presiding Administrative Law Judge.

The Office of Unfair Import Investigations will not participate as a party in this investigation.

Responses to the complaint and the notice of investigation must be submitted by the named respondents in accordance with section 210.13 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, 19 CFR210.13. Pursuant to 19 CFR 201.16(e) and 210.13(a), as amended in 85 FR 15798 (March 19, 2020), such responses will be considered by the Commission if received not later than 20 days after the date of service by the complainant of the complaint and the notice of investigation. Extensions of time for submitting responses to the complaint and the notice of investigation will not be granted unless good cause therefor is shown.

Failure of a respondent to file a timely response to each allegation in the complaint and in this notice may be deemed to constitute a waiver of the right to appear and contest the allegations of the complaint and this notice, and to authorize the administrative law judge and the Commission, without further notice to the respondent, to find the facts to be as alleged in the complaint and this notice and to enter an initial determination and a final determination containing such findings, and may result in the issuance of an exclusion order or a cease and desist order or both directed against the respondent.

By order of the Commission.

Issued: January 25, 2022.

Lisa Barton,

Secretary to the Commission.