Defendant
1 case as defendant.
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) is the North American sales, marketing, and distribution subsidiary of Japan's Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE: TM). Founded in 1957, the company is now part of Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) and is headquartered in Plano, Texas, following a 2017 consolidation of its U.S. operations. While TMS does not report financials separately, its parent TMNA has an estimated annual revenue of over $10 billion and employs more than 21,000 people.
As an operating company, TMS is responsible for the sales, marketing, and distribution of Toyota and Lexus vehicles across 49 states through a network of more than 1,200 Toyota and 200 Lexus dealers. Its product lines include a wide range of passenger cars, trucks, SUVs, and minivans, such as the Camry, Corolla, Prius, and Tundra. The company has a significant focus on electrified vehicles, offering numerous hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fuel-cell models. TMS also manages regional parts and vehicle distribution centers and develops nationwide marketing campaigns.
In patent litigation, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. acts as an operating company defending itself against patent infringement claims. The company has been a defendant in all two of its tracked patent cases and has not been a plaintiff. Both of its tracked cases were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, a popular venue for patent litigation.
The company's recent patent litigation involves suits from non-practicing entities (NPEs). These include a 2024 case brought by Autonavigare LLC and a 2025 case from Bunker Hill Technologies LLC. The litigation appears to target technologies integrated into modern vehicles, consistent with trends of NPEs asserting patents against the automotive industry.
A patent infringement lawsuit filed by Bunker Hill Technologies LLC against Toyota entities, alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 11,374,508. The case is currently open and pending in the Eastern District of Texas.