Judge sides with Toyota in hybrid patent dispute

A U.S. International Trade Commission administrative judge sided with Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp., concluding that two of its hybrid models did not infringe a patent held by a small U.S. company, the agency said.

U.S. Administrative Law Judge Paul Luckern said the Toyota Prius and Highlander hybrids did not infringe a patent held by Tarpon Springs, Fla.-based Solomon Technologies Inc., as Solomon had alleged.