霍尼韦尔状告iPod之父明星恒温器侵权

    本周早些时候，技术巨头霍尼韦尔公司（Honeywell）对硅谷新创企业Nest Labs提起诉讼，称后者广受欢迎的Nest Learning智能恒温器设计侵犯了自己的专利。鉴于霍尼韦尔是《财富》美国500强（Fortune 500）公司，此举无疑令人惊讶，但也并非全无来由。

    Nest公司原有的库存在11月已经全部售罄。这家公司由托尼•法德尔创建，他曾在苹果公司（Apple）担任工程师，号称iPod之父。Nest精巧的恒温器给乏味的家居设备市场带来了新意。但霍尼韦尔声称Nest的某些核心技术侵犯了其知识产权。比如，这款恒温器能从别的能源来源获取电能；能询问用户的能源使用习惯并理解消化用户的回应。尽管标志性的圆形恒温器是霍尼韦尔知名度最高的产品，但它只是该公司的一小部分业务。霍尼韦尔的业务范围广泛，从空运到条形码扫描器无所不包。

    Nest的产品去年秋天上市，大受好评。此后，霍尼韦尔对这家后起之秀可谓嫉恨不已。今年1月，霍尼韦尔首席执行官戴夫•科特造访了《财富》（Fortune）位于纽约的办公室。当时，我说起Nest恒温器，感叹它的热量。科特立即反唇相讥：“Nest的销量根本没那么好。《纽约时报》（New York Times）报道说得很清楚。”科特所指的可能是《纽约时报》科技专栏作家大卫•波格所写的那篇“热情洋溢”的评测。《纽约时报》的另一篇报道介绍了包括霍尼韦尔Prestige HD在内的多款新式恒温器，不过Nest仍是其中最受推崇的一款。霍尼韦尔对此并未置评。

    无论科特对Nest的实际销量是否心中有数，因为Nest并未披露具体销量，但Nest获得的市场关注让科特颇为不安，这一点显而易见。成立于1906年的霍尼韦尔显然已经深刻感受到了来自Nest Labs的威胁，因此决定不惜时间（和金钱），将Nest告上法庭。调研公司MarketTools研究解决方案部副总裁马克•德兰尼称：“如果某家公司没有成为行业领袖的潜力，竞争对手根本不会关注它。”德兰尼同时还是一位家电领域的分析师。

    霍尼韦尔去年销售额为365亿美元，员工数量多达13万，因此，这场诉讼很像是小个子与巨无霸的战斗。但Nest却不是普普通通的小个子。这家新创企业财力雄厚并背靠硅谷传奇投资公司凯鹏华盈（Kleiner Perkins），而且创始人法德尔出自如日中天的苹果公司，这无疑大大提高了Nest的知名度。德兰尼称：“看看Nest身后的众多大人物以及他们手头握有的雄厚资金，即使是霍尼韦尔这样的巨头也应该明白，Nest并不是一个由几个人在车库里开办的小作坊。”确实，Nest Labs在一封电子邮件声明中明确表示，Nest“有资源、支持和信心”打赢这场官司。

    Earlier this week, the technology giant Honeywell filed a lawsuit against Silicon Valley startup Nest Labs for allegedly infringing on Honeywell patents in designing its acclaimed Nest Learning Thermostat. While it was a surprising move for the Fortune 500 company, it wasn't totally out of the blue.

    The Nest, which sold out its original inventory in November, is the creation of Tony Fadell, former Apple (AAPL) engineer and father of the iPod. The slick thermostat promises glitzy changes in the mostly stale market for such household devices. But Honeywell (HON) is contending that some of the Nest's core technologies -- like the device's capability to take power from another energy source, and its ability to ask questions and understand responses about a user's energy habits -- are its intellectual property. While the iconic round thermostat is Honeywell's most recognizable product, it is a small part of the company's business. It has tentacles in everything from air transportation to barcode scanners.

    Honeywell has been peeved with the upstart newcomer since it started getting major media buzz after it hit stores last fall. When Honeywell's CEO Dave Cote visited Fortune's New York City office in January, he countered quickly when I brought up how well the Nest was selling. "The Nest hasn't sold really well, the New York Times has written about it really well," he shot back. Cote is likely talking about a glowing review by Times technology columnist David Pogue. Another Times piece mentions a handful of new wave thermostats including the Honeywell Prestige HD, but is most enthusiastic about the Nest. Honeywell did not respond to a request for comment.

    Whether or not Cote has a point about the Nest's actual numbers -- the company doesn't release that information -- his frustration over Nest's attention is telling. It seems clear that Honeywell, which has been around since 1906, is threatened enough by Nest Lab's momentum that it is willing to put up with the hassle (and fees) of a lawsuit. "You don't go after someone who isn't potentially going to be a leader in the category," says Mark Delaney, vice president of research solutions at the company MarketTools, who also has a background as an analyst in the home appliance sector.

    While the suit may seem like David versus Goliath -- Honeywell had sales of $36.5 billion last year and has a workforce of 130,000 -- Nest is no ordinary David. The startup has the deep pockets and backing of legendary Silicon Valley investor Kleiner Perkins, and the natural PR machine of being ex-Apple at a time when Apple is riding its highest wave yet. "Any time you see the depth of the people backing that company and the bankrolls that come along with it, even if you're Honeywell, you know this is not some little startup by some guy in a garage," says Delaney. Indeed, in an email statement, Nest Labs firmly says that it has the "resources, support and conviction" to defend itself against the suit.