Defendant
2 cases as defendant.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC ("MBUSA") is the U.S. distribution, marketing, and customer-service arm of Mercedes-Benz Group AG (Frankfurt: MBG), the Stuttgart-based automaker formerly known as Daimler AG. Founded in 1965, MBUSA moved its headquarters from Montvale, New Jersey to Sandy Springs, Georgia (metro Atlanta) in 2015, opening its current "1MB" campus in 2018. Published figures vary by source: the company states roughly 1,800 employees and about 384 associated dealerships, while Wikipedia cites about 1,400. MBUSA does not report standalone revenue; its results are consolidated into Mercedes-Benz Group AG. In May 2025 the parent announced it would make Atlanta its North American headquarters, relocating up to 500 roles from Farmington Hills, Michigan, and adding an R&D hub by August 2026.
Operations. MBUSA imports and distributes Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and Mercedes-Benz Vans in the United States, covering roughly 18 model lines from the GLA SUV to the S-Class and the EQ all-electric range, plus Sprinter vans. It handles sales, marketing, dealer-network management, and customer service through franchised dealerships rather than manufacturing; U.S. assembly occurs at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International's Tuscaloosa, Alabama plant, a sister entity. It is an operating company, not a patent-holding vehicle.
Litigation posture. The case data show 0 plaintiff appearances and 1 defendant appearance, consistent with a large operating company that is a target of, rather than a filer of, patent suits — typically because its vehicles incorporate supplier technology.
Notable case. Automotive Technologies International, Inc. v. Delphi Corporation et al. (E.D. Mich., Southern Division, filed 2008-03-11) named MBUSA among 13 defendants alongside General Motors, Ford, Volvo, Hyundai, Nissan, and Fuji Heavy Industries. Plaintiff ATI, a patent-holding company associated with inventor David S. Breed, asserted occupant-detection and seat-weight-sensing patents (the '516, '080, '945, and '029 patents) against Delphi's Passive Occupant Detection System used in vehicles including the 2008 Mercedes C-Class. ATI first filed in the Northern District of Texas in February 2008; the case was consolidated into Delphi's Michigan declaratory-judgment action. In 2011 the court granted summary judgment invalidating four patents, and the Federal Circuit heard ATI's appeal. Breed's portfolio was later assigned to American Vehicular Sciences LLC, a non-practicing entity that asserted similar patents against automakers in the Eastern District of Texas.
IDT asserted the '563 Patent against Mercedes-Benz entities, accusing Mercedes-Benz M-Class tail lights. The case was terminated. Filing date per PTAB notice was Apr. 24, 2014, though some sources state May 13, 2014.
ATI sued Delphi and multiple automotive OEMs/suppliers in E.D. Mich. asserting the '516 patent along with U.S. Patents 6,484,080, 7,243,945, and 7,407,029. On March 9, 2011, the court granted summary judgment of invalidity on all four patents, including '516 as anticipated by Blackburn '243; the case was consolidated with 2:10-cv-10647 and appealed.