News

Component Supplier

Member Since 2007

Cognex Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and markets a range of products that incorporate sophisticated machine vision technology that gives them the ability to “see.” Cognex products include barcode readers, machine vision sensors, and machine vision systems that are used in factories, warehouses, and distribution centers around the world to guide, gauge, inspect, identify, and assure the quality of items during the manufacturing and distribution process. Cognex is the world’s leader in the machine vision industry, having shipped more than 1 million vision-based products, representing over $4 billion in cumulative revenue, since the company’s founding in 1981. Headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts, USA, Cognex has regional offices and distributors located throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

Content Filed Under:

Industry:
N/A

Application:
N/A

Cognex Corporation Presented with Special Recognition Award from Automated Imaging Association

POSTED 02/05/2004

Trade Group Honors its Member for Defeating Lemelson Partnership

Ann Arbor, MI – Cognex Corporation, Natick, MA, has been presented a special recognition award from the Automated Imaging Association (AIA) for its recent courtroom victory over the Lemelson Medical, Education & Research Foundation, Limited Partnership.

In the landmark decision by Chief Judge Philip Pro of the U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, the claims of 14 patents asserted by the Lemelson Partnership were found invalid and unenforceable.

Since the early 1990s, the late Jerome Lemelson and the Lemelson Partnership are estimated to have collected more than $1.5 billion in license fees from companies that use machine vision and bar code reading technology.

‘‘The threat of litigation from the Lemelson Partnership has hung over the machine vision industry like a dark cloud for more than a decade. Thanks to Cognex, who spent millions of dollars fighting this case, this cloud is now gone,’‘ said Jeffrey A. Burnstein, Executive Director of AIA.

William M. Silver, Chief Technology Officer and a co-founder of Cognex, accepted the award on behalf of Cognex at the annual AIA Business Conference in Orlando, FL on February 5, 2004. Dr. Robert J. Shillman, Chairman and CEO of Cognex was also in attendance.

‘‘This ruling is truly a cause for celebration, for Cognex and for every company around the world that makes, sells, or uses machine vision systems or bar code readers,’‘ said Dr. Shillman. ‘‘It is also a victory for consumers everywhere, because every one of us has paid a hidden tax to Lemelson each and every time we made a purchase of virtually any item that was manufactured since the start of Lemelson’s licensing onslaught.’‘

Market Intelligence News & Insights:

How Will Apple’s $500 Billion Investment for US Manufacturing, Education, and AI Play Out?

On February 24^th, Apple announced a “commitment… to spend and invest more than $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years”, with plans for new manufacturing plants, enhanced support for manufacturing partners via their Advanced Manufacturing Fund, and a myriad of other initiatives. As part of this plan, Apple projects 20,000 new hires, with roles focused on R&D, silicon engineering, software development, and AI/ML engineering.