Seven-Year Legal Battle Concludes with BMW’s Victory Over Carrum Technologies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2025

To close out a seven-year litigation starting in 2018, on October 15, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the District Court for the District of Delaware’s decision that BMW of North America, LLC, BMW US Manufacturing Company, LLC and BMW AG (collectively “BMW”) do not infringe adaptive cruise control patents held by the non-practicing entity Carrum Technologies LLC. Carrum sued BMW for allegedly infringing patents directed to adaptive cruise control technology developed in 2004.

BMW, however, had worked years earlier to industrialize radar-based adaptive cruise control technology, which was first sold in 7-series BMWs in 2000. This pre-existing ACC technology, which BMW and its automotive suppliers have spent the last 25 years improving, never relied on the technology recited in Carrum’s patents.

So, when BMW was accused of using Carrum’s unlicensed technology instead of its own home-grown system, BMW pushed back.

“As in every NPE case, BMW defended its technology vigorously both in District Court and at the Patent Office and opposed baseless allegations of patent infringement,” stated BMW Group’s Vice President in Intellectual Property, Reinhold Diener. He added, “Of course, we are very satisfied with the judgment.” 

In addition to raising arguments—which ultimately prevailed—demonstrating that BMW’s ACC systems do not use Carrum’s technology, BMW’s legal team also secured a 2003 7-series BMW, example pictured below, to prove that BMW vehicles with ACC technology were cruising around the United States years before Carrum’s patents.

Finnegan Partner Lionel Lavenue said, “BMW is pleased with the Federal Circuit’s affirmance of the district court’s judgment. BMW has been an industry leader in adaptive cruise control for over 25 years due to its own innovation and is satisfied with the confirmation that it has not infringed Carrum’s intellectual property. This great result for the company is the product of sustained and strategic advocacy.”

According to Reinhold Diener this case adds to multiple lawsuits brought by patent assertion entities against BMW, none of which have resulted in BMW paying them any money. “We watch our long-term strategy pay off to deter unfounded claims against our innovative technologies”, he noted.

The case is Carrum Technologies, LLC v. Ford Motor Company, et al., No. 2024-1183, 2024-1480, on appeal from Carrum Technologies, LLC v. Ford Motor Company, No. 1:18-cv-01647-RGA-SRF (D. Del.) and Carrum Technologies, LLC v. BMW of North America, LLC, et al., No. 1:18-cv-01645-RGA (D. Del.).

Contacts

Terra Liddell, Chief Marketing Officer
terra.liddell@finnegan.com

Angela Robinson, Director of Branding and Communications
angela.robinson@finnegan.com

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