Shenzhen EcoFlow v. Medi-Products: Battery Backup Design Patent Action
Shenzhen EcoFlow Inc. filed a design patent infringement action against Medi-Products in the Southern District of New York, asserting USD0988261S over the SAVERCELL Battery Backup Systems product. The case closed in just 39 days via voluntary dismissal without prejudice — leaving the door open for re-filing.
Design patent dispute ends swiftly — but without prejudice
On July 18, 2025, Shenzhen EcoFlow Inc., a Shenzhen-based energy technology company, filed an infringement action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Medi-Products and Medicanix Inc. The complaint asserted design patent USD0988261S, covering the ornamental design of battery backup systems, against the defendants’ SAVERCELL Battery Backup Systems product. The case was assigned to Judge Kenneth M. Karas.
The case resolved on August 26, 2025 — just 39 days after filing — when EcoFlow’s counsel filed a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal pursuant to F.R.C.P. 41(a)(1)(A)(i). Critically, the dismissal was entered without prejudice, meaning EcoFlow retains the right to re-assert the same claims against Medi-Products or Medicanix Inc. in a future action. No defendant answer or counterclaim had been filed, which is what permitted the unilateral dismissal under this rule.
The brevity of the case — under six weeks from filing to closure — is consistent with either an early settlement, a licensing arrangement reached outside the public record, or a strategic decision by EcoFlow to pause litigation. The public docket does not disclose any monetary terms or licensing agreement. What remains unknown is whether the parties reached any commercial understanding, making this dismissal one to monitor for potential re-filing activity.
Filing to Voluntary dismissal in 39 days
39 days — significantly faster than the median patent case lifespan in S.D.N.Y.
Voluntarily dismissed: what the Rule 41 exit means for both parties
Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(i): plaintiff’s unilateral exit right
F.R.C.P. 41(a)(1)(A)(i) permits a plaintiff to dismiss an action without a court order before the defendant serves an answer or a motion for summary judgment. EcoFlow filed this notice unilaterally, requiring no judicial approval. This is the earliest and cleanest dismissal mechanism available under the Federal Rules, and it leaves no merits ruling on the record.
No court order requiredWithout prejudice: re-filing risk remains open
A dismissal without prejudice means the claims are not adjudicated on the merits and EcoFlow is not barred from re-asserting USD0988261S against Medi-Products or Medicanix in future litigation. The public record does not specify whether a settlement or licensing agreement was reached. Whether this reflects a resolved dispute or a tactical pause is unknown from the docket alone.
Re-filing not barredMedi-Products exits without a merits win — or loss
While the dismissal ends the immediate litigation burden for Medi-Products and Medicanix, it does not provide the certainty of a declaratory judgment of non-infringement. The defendants cannot claim a judicial finding that SAVERCELL does not infringe USD0988261S. If no licence or covenant not to sue was obtained, the infringement risk from EcoFlow’s design patent persists.
No non-infringement rulingEcoFlow preserves optionality in medical power backup market
The without-prejudice dismissal suggests EcoFlow is managing — not abandoning — its IP position. For companies in the battery backup and medical power continuity space, this case signals that EcoFlow is actively enforcing its design portfolio. Competitors and OEM partners working with similar battery backup system aesthetics should treat this as an active enforcement signal rather than a resolved dispute.
Enforcement risk persistsFull party and counsel information
| Role | Name | Type | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaintiff | Shenzhen EcoFlow Inc. | Company | Energy technology company — holder of design patent USD0988261S covering battery backup systemsSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Defendant | Medi-Products | Individual | Medical-grade power solutions provider, maker of SAVERCELL Battery Backup SystemsSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Plaintiff counsel | Zhongyi Huang | Attorney | Counsel for Shenzhen EcoFlow Inc.Search in Eureka ↗ |
| Plaintiff law firm | YoungZeal LLP | Law Firm | Representing Shenzhen EcoFlow Inc.Search in Eureka ↗ |
| Presiding judge | Judge Kenneth M. Karas | Judge | New York Southern District CourtSearch in Eureka ↗ |
Official order — verbatim text
The verbatim notice invokes F.R.C.P. 41(a)(1)(A)(i), the narrowest and most plaintiff-controlled dismissal mechanism available — requiring no court order and no defendant consent. The explicit ‘without prejudice’ language is legally significant: it preserves EcoFlow’s full right to re-file the same infringement claims. The naming of both Medi-Products and Medicanix Inc. in the dismissal notice confirms the action extended to at least two related entities, which may be relevant if the dispute resurfaces.
USD0988261S — Ornamental design for battery backup systems
USD0988261S is a U.S. design patent protecting the ornamental appearance of a battery backup system. Design patents under 35 U.S.C. § 171 grant exclusivity over a product’s visual characteristics, not its functional attributes. Application number US35/512402 indicates a Hague System international design application routed through the USPTO — a filing pathway increasingly used by Chinese technology companies to secure multi-jurisdictional design protection efficiently. The patent is held by Shenzhen EcoFlow Inc., a major player in portable and stationary energy storage.
EcoFlow’s assertion of this design patent against a medical power backup product supplier reflects the strategic value of design rights in hardware markets where aesthetic differentiation is a commercial asset. Design patents are frequently underestimated as enforcement tools — but they carry identical 20-year-from-grant term protections and, if successfully asserted, can result in total profits damages under 35 U.S.C. § 289. For companies in the battery backup, UPS, or medical power continuity space, USD0988261S warrants landscape monitoring.
Should you run an FTO against USD0988261S?
Any company manufacturing, importing, or selling battery backup systems — particularly those serving medical, industrial, or commercial continuity markets — should assess exposure under USD0988261S. The SAVERCELL precedent shows EcoFlow is willing to assert this patent against direct market competitors. If your product shares visual similarity with EcoFlow’s protected design, a freedom-to-operate review is a commercially prudent step before scaling distribution in the U.S. market.
PatSnap Eureka’s FTO Search Agent can map USD0988261S against your product’s design characteristics, surface design-around options, and flag related design patent families in EcoFlow’s portfolio that may present additional risk. With a Hague System filing as the base, cross-border design exposure analysis is also available — helping R&D and product teams assess risk before market entry, not after a complaint lands.
Run a freedom-to-operate analysis on USD0988261S to assess your product’s exposure
Run FTO in Eureka →Similar design patent infringement cases in battery and energy storage
Cases involving design patent enforcement over battery backup and energy storage hardware in U.S. district courts, with comparable dismissal or early resolution patterns.
What this case signals for the battery backup IP landscape
A 39-day voluntary dismissal without prejudice is rarely a clean exit — it typically signals unresolved commercial tension or a private deal.
Design patents in energy hardware are increasingly litigated
EcoFlow’s assertion of a design patent — not a utility patent — against a medical power backup supplier reflects a growing trend of design IP enforcement in the energy storage sector. Ornamental design rights can be powerful tools to block competitor products even where functional claims are unavailable or contested.
Without-prejudice exit keeps litigation leverage intact
Companies that receive a Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(i) voluntary dismissal without prejudice should not assume the matter is closed. EcoFlow retains full ability to re-file. If no formal covenant not to sue or licence agreement was obtained, Medi-Products and Medicanix face continued exposure under USD0988261S.
Shenzhen v Medi-Products — key questions answered
Shenzhen EcoFlow Inc. filed a design patent infringement action against Medi-Products and Medicanix Inc. in the S.D.N.Y. on July 18, 2025, asserting USD0988261S over the SAVERCELL Battery Backup Systems product. EcoFlow voluntarily dismissed the case without prejudice on August 26, 2025, after 39 days, under F.R.C.P. 41(a)(1)(A)(i). No merits ruling was issued.
A dismissal without prejudice means EcoFlow’s infringement claims were not adjudicated on the merits. EcoFlow retains the full right to re-file the same claims against Medi-Products and Medicanix Inc. in the future. Medi-Products did not receive a declaratory judgment of non-infringement, so design patent exposure under USD0988261S remains unless a formal agreement was reached privately.
USD0988261S is a U.S. design patent held by Shenzhen EcoFlow Inc. that protects the ornamental visual design of a battery backup system. It was filed via the Hague System international design application process (application number US35/512402). Design patents protect aesthetic appearance rather than functional features, and can support claims for total profits damages under 35 U.S.C. § 289 if successfully enforced.
F.R.C.P. 41(a)(1)(A)(i) allows a plaintiff to dismiss an action without a court order at any time before the defendant serves an answer or a motion for summary judgment. Since no answer or summary judgment motion appears to have been filed by Medi-Products, EcoFlow could file a notice of voluntary dismissal unilaterally. This is the most plaintiff-favorable exit mechanism available under the Federal Rules.
No. A single without-prejudice dismissal under Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(i) does not bar EcoFlow from re-filing the same claims. However, if EcoFlow were to file and then voluntarily dismiss a second action involving the same claims against the same defendants, Rule 41(a)(1) operates as a dismissal with prejudice — the so-called ‘two dismissal rule.’ Companies monitoring EcoFlow’s enforcement activity should track any subsequent filings.
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