Family-owned aerospace biz throws a wrench in Boeing IP lawsuit
- Reference: 1686573918
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2023/06/12/boeing_wilson_aerospace_lawsuit/
- Source link:
The 74-page complaint [1][PDF] filed with the Western District Court of Washington accused Boeing of stealing Wilson Aerospace's flagship product, the Fluid Fitting Torque Device (FFTD).
As a NASA contractor, Boeing was tasked with putting together NASA's SLS heavy-launch vehicle for its Artemis program to the Moon, but faced issues when trying to attach its engines. Boeing reportedly reached out to Wilson Aerospace in 2014 and worked together for two years to use its proprietary wrench to apply the right amount of torque needed to attach the engines.
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But lawyers representing the biz said it was suddenly cut off after Boeing decided to cancel its contract with the company. In the time that both companies were working together, Wilson Aerospace claimed Boeing managed to gain access and download its IP to develop its own version of the FFTD.
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[4]
"Despite its long-standing commitment to finding innovative solutions for Boeing's needs, Boeing rewarded Wilson's efforts by brazenly stealing Wilson's intellectual property relating to four iterations of Wilson's flagship product, the FFTD, along with other tools Wilson invented, violating a litany of intellectual property laws along the way," the lawsuit claims.
The alleged ripoff torque wrench crafted by Boeing, however, was said to be used incorrectly in the SLS and the ISS. Wilson Aerospace claimed mistakes in installing and using the tool led to leaks on the space lab and the rocket, delaying NASA's launch of its Artemis I mission last year and endangering lives.
[5]Boeing discovers Dreamliner defect, delivery delay decided
[6]This ain't Boeing very well: Starliner's first crewed flight canceled yet again
[7]Boeing's first-ever crewed mission in Starliner ISS spacecraft delayed to late July
[8]Boeing Starliner's 1st crewed trip to the ISS delayed again over battery overheating risk
"Worse, because Boeing covertly stole Wilson's intellectual property without receiving the full instructions on how to properly build, install, and use it, several of the aerospace and aviation products built by Boeing are pockmarked with critical safety flaws that put lives at risk. This includes the astronauts, pilots, crews, and passengers who come aboard without knowledge of the unsafe equipment and vehicles manufactured by or at the direction of Boeing."
An employee of Boeing allegedly sent an email to the company in September 2020 admitting to misusing its IP and creating "a safety concern for on-orbit hardware."
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Wilson Aerospace has asked judges to force Boeing to destroy its alleged ripoff products, and compensate any profits and pay damages owed. Boeing was officially sued for copyright infringement, trade secret misappropriation, civil conspiracy, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract, unjust enrichment and more.
A spokesperson for Boeing told The Register in a statement: "This lawsuit is rife with inaccuracies and omissions. We will vigorously defend against this in court."
Wilson Aerospace was founded in 1999 by David Wilson, Jr, in Boulder, Colorado. ®
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[1] https://regmedia.co.uk/2023/06/09/wilson_vs_boeing_complaint.pdf
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_specialfeatures/thereginspace&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZIdBHuCDCaessdzxy9nsCwAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_specialfeatures/thereginspace&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZIdBHuCDCaessdzxy9nsCwAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_specialfeatures/thereginspace&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZIdBHuCDCaessdzxy9nsCwAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/07/boeing_787_production_defect/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/02/boeing_starliner_crewed_flight_delay/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/30/boeing_crewed_mission_testing_delay/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/26/boeing_starliner_iss_delay/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_specialfeatures/thereginspace&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZIdBHuCDCaessdzxy9nsCwAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Big ass company with a lot of expensive lawyers on call stealing the ideas of smaller companies ..... nah! That would never happen!
There, much better.
At Big ass companies, the beancounters usually are expensive lawyers.
See, all fits perfectly. Even with wrongly applied torque.
inaccuracies and omissions
A spokesperson for Boeing told The Register in a statement: "This lawsuit is rife with inaccuracies and omissions..."
Yet they can't actually name any inaccuracies and omissions in the statement. Hmm.
Re: inaccuracies and omissions
More pointedly " inaccuracies and omissions. " doesn't mean claiming it's not substantively correct.
Re: Yet they can't actually name any inaccuracies and omissions in the statement. Hmm.
Sounds like that they have been listening to some of the Select Committee's in DC that claim the the current POTUS took all sorts of bribes when VP but can't produce any evidence to back up their claims.
Looks like a new pandemic... The No proof legal claims syndrome.
Send for Fauci.
Using the right tool for the job..
From the filing-
Not only was the problem with its trapped fittings falsely attributed to Wilson’s FFTD-1 tool, but Wilson further discovered in January of 2021 that the trapped tool was a counterfeit tool built by a competitor of Wilson’s that bore Wilson’s part number and trademark.
And there's more with Boeing asking for traceability markings to be applied using eraseable ink..
234. The capture latch project was managed at Boeing’s secure building on the highly guarded Redstone Arsenal...
236. In 2018, and at Boeing’s request, Wilson manufactured a Gearbox and delivered it to Boeing at the Redstone Arsenal. Boeing employee, Suzanne Young, guided Dr. Wilson and his wife and son in and out of the Arsenal bypassing security, apparently for the purpose of covering up Wilson’s involvement in the project.
The ability to sneak people and packages into a supposedly high security facility is.. kinda bad. And there's much more shady practices described in the filing. Quite fascinating, ie the challenges of making a torque tool with low input and high output for use by astronauts in space. And I hope Wilson wins, gets a lot of money and can maybe get tools to market. I mean a high precision torque wrench that works in (very) confined spaces.. Who doesn't want one of those?
Re: Using the right tool for the job..
I know/knew some people who worked around the US aerospace industry in the 70s/80s and the stories of what went on will scare you.
This industry has been above the law for a very long time.
Re: Using the right tool for the job..
I know/knew some people who worked around the US aerospace industry in the 70s/80s and the stories of what went on will scare you.
A while back I read a report on counterfeiting that reported it's not just fake Gucci gear, but also things like brake pads and other safety-critical stuff use in the aviation and automotive industry. Or this filing, which details knock-off tools gettng stuck in rather critical locations, like inside the airlock of the ISS.. And then trying to blame Wilson. It also explains why aerospace stuff gets expensive. You need a custom tool designed and manufactured for a job, and it just has to work. The nearest Home Depot is a looooong way away. Plus the consequences of ending up with a trapped tool inside a critical element, which means you can't be entirely sure what the state is, and no way to easily fix it.
Boeing are just awful
After reading about the 737 Max debacle, the decision made to risk letting planes fly even though they KNEW there was a problem therefor letting the 2nd crash happen. Blaming the pilots and getting in the way of the enquiry.
The issues raised in teh undercover Al Jazeera documentary showing massive lack of safety and regards for workers.
I refuse to fly Boeing. They're just wall street shills now, the engineer removed from the business.
The ONLY think I like about Musk is that he might kill Boeing's space business. It's ridiculous.
Most of the C-suite who made the 737 MAX decisions are still in place and literally nothing has happened to improve their safety record.
The MAX toque wrench?
"because Boeing covertly ... without .. full instructions ... several of the aerospace and aviation products built by Boeing are pockmarked with critical safety flaws that put lives at risk."
Boeing[1] to Wilson
Torque to the hand, 'cos the face ain't listening!
[1] named, of course, after the noise made when their lawyers are let out of their hutches.
Big ass company run by beancounters stealing the ideas of smaller companies ..... nah! That would never happen!