iRobot Honored for Strong Patent Portfolio

Fish & Richardson Client Receives High Marks on Patent Scorecard

iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), a client of Fish & Richardson, was recently recognized by the Patent Board for having one of the top patent portfolios overall within the competitive electronics and instruments industry. iRobot ranked #5 overall on the list, putting the company ahead of many other major electronics and instruments companies. iRobot's patent portfolio ranked #2 in the category of "Science Strength" and #3 in the category of "Industry Impact" among the list of 50 industry leaders.

The company's #2 "Science Strength" ranking, which measures the degree to which a company's portfolio is linked to core science, was four times stronger than the nearest company on the list. iRobot's #3 ranking for "Industry Impact," measures the impact of a company's patents on technology developed by the rest of the industry.

"We are pleased to be working with iRobot to help them strategically develop their patent portfolio," said James Babineau, a principal at Fish & Richardson. "Building a strong patent portfolio is a collaborative process, and we work closely with their talented in-house legal team and key technology and business leaders to continually evaluate and refine their portfolio. Because iRobot is such a technology-rich company, we are able to help them develop patent positions that keep pace with their continually evolving market and competitive posture."

"Working with Fish & Richardson, iRobot has been strategic and aggressive in filing U.S. and international patent applications," said Glen Weinstein, executive vice president and general counsel at iRobot. "The significant investments iRobot has made to protect its intellectual property will help the company sustain a long-term competitive advantage as the leading developer of robotic technology-based solutions."

To date, iRobot has been awarded 238 U.S. patents, bringing its total worldwide patents to more than 400.

The "Patent Scorecard" which publishes in The Wall Street Journal, tracks the U.S. patent portfolios of more than 2,500 of the world's top technology firms and ranks the strength of those patent portfolios by specific industries. In January 2014, the Patent Scorecard ranked electronics and instruments companies on patent quality, technological strength and breadth of impact. The metrics reflect varying aspects of innovation, speed, strength, and relevancy.