Book a demo
Spectrum Products v. Jie Gao & D Home LLC — Air Vent Extender Design Patent | PatSnap
Explore in Eureka
Case ID2:21-cv-01407
FiledAug 2021
ClosedFeb 2024
Patent Litigation

Spectrum Products v. Jie Gao & D Home LLC — $1M Default Judgment for Design Patent Infringement

Spectrum Products LLC secured a default judgment of $1,012,091.52 — three times calculated lost profits — against a network of Amazon sellers infringing its design patent USD925721 covering a magnetic air vent extender. The court also issued a permanent injunction and awarded attorney fees, delivering a near-total plaintiff victory.

Resolution time
900days
Days from filing (Aug 2021) to final damages order (Feb 2024)
Patents asserted
1
USD925721 — magnetic floor air vent extender, ornamental design patent
Outcome
Default Judgment
Default judgment — treble damages + permanent injunction entered against all defendants
Cost ruling
Fees awarded
Attorney fees and costs granted; itemised accounting ordered within 14 days of judgment
Published by PatSnap Insights Team · Verified by PatSnap Eureka Data
Case overview

Treble damages and permanent injunction in Amazon design-patent dispute

Spectrum Products LLC filed suit in the Arizona District Court in August 2021 against Jie Gao, D Home LLC, Rahome, Ventilaiders, and Jie Hue — a cluster of Amazon marketplace sellers — for infringing design patent USD925721, which covers the ornamental design of a magnetic air vent extender that fits floor registers up to 12.9 inches wide and extends up to 33 inches. The application for the patent was filed on December 1, 2020, and the patent issued on July 20, 2021. Spectrum alleged infringement began as early as January 20, 2021, the date it served defendants with a cease-and-desist letter.

Defendants never appeared in the action. On March 27, 2023, the court granted default judgment on liability and issued a permanent injunction. It reserved damages pending supplemental briefing. On February 1, 2024, Judge Douglas L. Rayes awarded Spectrum $337,363.84 in lost profits — calculated from Jungle Scout sales-tracking data estimating 88 infringing units sold per day over 554 days at a net profit of $6.92 per unit — then tripled that figure under 35 U.S.C. § 284 to $1,012,091.52, finding that defendants’ continued selling after receiving a cease-and-desist letter and their total non-participation in the lawsuit supported a finding of willful infringement.

The 554-day infringement window extends back to pre-patent-issuance activity, which the court permitted under 35 U.S.C. § 154(d) on the basis that Spectrum’s cease-and-desist letter constituted actual notice of the published application — an uncommon but important damages expansion. The case resolved without any substantive defence on the merits; the defendants’ complete failure to respond likely deprived Spectrum of a contested damages trial but also foreclosed any invalidity argument, leaving the patent unchallenged. What remains unknown is whether Spectrum has successfully enforced the injunction or collected on the judgment.

Case at a glance
Case no.2:21-cv-01407
DefendantJie Gao
CourtArizona
JudgeDouglas L Rayes
FiledAugust 15, 2021
ClosedFebruary 1, 2024
Duration900 days
OutcomeDefault Judgment
Verdict causePatent Infringement Action
BasisDefault Judgment
Prior Art Intelligence
See what prior art exists on this patent.
Eureka scans millions of patents and papers to surface prior art that may have invalidated these claims before costly litigation begins.
Check Prior Art
Case data sourced from PACER / Arizona District Court via PatSnap Eureka Litigation Intelligence Explore similar cases ↗
Case timeline

Filing to filing in 900 days

Days from filing (Aug 2021) to final damages order (Feb 2024)

Case timeline: Complaint filed May 13 2025, NOV–DEC — 900 days total Horizontal timeline showing the three key events in Spectrum Products, LLC v Jie Gao from filing to voluntary dismissal. Source: PACER, Arizona District Court. AUG 15 2021 Complaint filed NOV–DEC 2021 Pre-trial proceedings FEB 1 2024 Ongoing in progress 900 DAYS TOTAL
Parties and representation

Full party and counsel information

RoleNameTypeDetail
PlaintiffSpectrum Products, LLCCompanyHome comfort products company — holder of design patent USD925721Search in Eureka ↗
DefendantJie GaoCompanyNetwork of Amazon marketplace sellers including D Home LLC, Rahome, and VentilaidersSearch in Eureka ↗
Plaintiff counselNathanael Melvin BrownAttorneyCounsel for Spectrum Products, LLCSearch in Eureka ↗
Presiding judgeJudge Douglas L RayesChief JudgeArizona District Court — Chief JudgeSearch in Eureka ↗
Official verdict

Stipulation of dismissal — official text

“On March 27, 2023, the Court granted Plaintiff Spectrum Products LLC default judgment against Defendants for patent infringement claims brought under 35 U.S.C. § 271. (Doc. 43.) The Court granted Plaintiff a permanent injunction against further infringement by Defendants, but reserved judgment as to damages pending further briefing and evidence from Plaintiff. (Id. at 3–4.) Plaintiff submitted a supplemental brief and sworn declarations addressing the issue of outstanding damages. (Docs. 44, 47.) For the following reasons, the Court grants Plaintiff’s request for damages under 35 U.S.C. § 284 in the total amount of $1,012,091.52. I. Legal Standard Section 284 of Title 35 of the United States Code provides the statutory basis for an award of damages in patent infringement cases: Upon finding for the claimant the court shall award the claimant damages adequate to compensate for the infringement, but in no event less than a reasonable royalty for Case 2:21-cv-01407-DLR Document 48 Filed 02/01/24 Page 1 of 5 – 2 – 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 the use made of the invention by the infringer, together with interest and costs as fixed by the court. 35 U.S.C. § 284. One method of awarding a claimant “damages adequate to compensate for infringement” is by awarding the claimant their “lost profits.” Pelican Int’l, Inc. v. Hobie Cat Co., 655 F. Supp. 3d 1002, 1034 (S.D. Cal. 2023). “To recover lost profits, the patentee bears the burden of proof to show a reasonable probability that ‘but for’ infringement, it would have made the sales that were made by the infringer.” Presidio Components, Inc v. Am. Tech. Ceramics Corp., 875 F.3d 1369, 1380 (Fed. Cir. 2017); see also Saf-Gard Products, Inc. v. Serv. Parts, Inc., 491 F. Supp. 996, 1010 (D. Ariz. 1980) (noting that the infringer is liable for what the patent owner “would have netted from the sales denied to him”). “[A] patentee need only prove its lost profits to a reasonable probability . . . [U]ncertainties are resolved against the infringer.” Scripto-Tokai Corp. v. Gillette Co., 788 F. Supp. 439, 444 (C.D. Cal. 1992) (citing Del Mar Avionics v. Quinton Instrument Co., 836 F.2d 1320, 1326–27 (Fed. Cir. 1987)). Section 284 also provides for enhanced damages. A court “may increase the damages up to three times the amount found or assessed” in cases of infringement. 35 U.S.C. § 284. “Whether and to what extent enhanced damages are awarded is at the discretion of the Court.” Oomph Innovations LLC v. Shenzhen Bolsesic Elecs. Co. Ltd., No. 5:18-cv-05561-EJD, 2020 WL 5847505, at *5 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 30, 2020). Generally, a court will grant enhanced damages where the conduct at issue “may be described as ‘willful, wanton, malicious, bad-faith, deliberate, consciously wrongful, flagrant, or— indeed—characteristic of a pirate.’” Id. (quoting Halo Electronics, Inc v. Pulse Electronics, Inc., 579, U.S. 93, 103–04 (2016)). II. Discussion Before turning to the calculation of damages, the Court first addresses Plaintiff’s right to recover for patent infringement predating the issuance of its patent. Plaintiff filed its patent application on December 1, 2020, and was issued its patent on July 20, 2021. (Doc. 1 at 5.) However, Plaintiff alleges the infringement period started on January 20, 2021, the date Plaintiff sent Defendants a cease-and-desist letter regarding the infringement Case 2:21-cv-01407-DLR Document 48 Filed 02/01/24 Page 2 of 5 – 3 – 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 (Doc. 40-6), and continued until July 28, 2022 (Doc. 44-2). Thus, Plaintiff contends the infringement period constitutes 554 days in total. “Generally, patent owners may only collect damages for patent infringement that takes place during the term of the patent.” Rosebud LMS Inc. v. Adobe Sys Inc., 812 F.3d 1070, 1073 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (citing 35 U.S.C. § 271). That said, § 154(d) provides a narrow exception to that rule, allowing a patent owner to seek damages for infringement prior to the issuance of the patent if the infringer “had actual notice of the published patent application.” Id.; 35 U.S.C. § 154(d). Actual notice includes “a party affirmatively acting to provide notice” as well as notice given directly to, or received personally by, a party. Rosebud, 812 F.3d at 1074. Here, accepting Plaintiff’s allegations on default as true, the Court finds that Plaintiff affirmatively provided notice to Defendants of Plaintiff’s patent application and Defendants’ infringement. Thus, Plaintiff is entitled to pre-issuance damages—i.e., damages covering the period of January 20, 2021, until July 28, 2022—under § 154(d). Turning now to the calculation of damages: Plaintiff seeks $337, 363.84 in damages, before enhancement, based on its lost profits. Plaintiff relies on Jungle Scout, an online software, to calculate a reasonable estimate of how many infringing units of product Defendants sold during the infringement period. Jungle Scout uses algorithms to, among other things, track and monitor the sales history for products listed on Amazon based on the product’s Amazon Standard Identification Number (“ASIN”). (Doc. 47-2.) Jungle Scout estimates that between January 20, 2021, until July 28, 2022, Defendants sold on average 88 units per day. Plaintiff multiplies 88 units sold per day with 554 days, the total number of infringing days. This calculation equals 48,752 units, which is a reasonable estimate of the number of infringing units sold by Defendants. Next, Plaintiff multiplies the number of infringing units sold by Defendants with the net profit Plaintiff makes on each unit of product sold. Plaintiff has a net profit of $6.92 per unit sold. So, $6.92 per unit multiplied by 48,752 units equals $337,363.84, the amount of profit Plaintiff would have made but-for Defendants’ infringement. The Court finds this to be a reasonable and fair measure of Plaintiff’s damages. Case 2:21-cv-01407-DLR Document 48 Filed 02/01/24 Page 3 of 5 – 4 – 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Plaintiff further requests that the Court grant enhanced damages at the maximum amount permitted by statute. The Court finds that Plaintiff’s allegations support a finding of willful infringement and thus justify enhanced damages. Plaintiff alleged that Defendants actively induced infringement under 35 U.S.C. § 271(b) and continued in their infringement despite receiving a cease-and-desist letter. See Global-Tech Appliances, Inc. v. SEB S.A., 563 U.S. 754, 766 (2011) (“[I]nduced infringement under § 271(b) requires knowledge that the induced act constitutes patent infringement.”). Furthermore, Defendants continued to market and sell infringing products for close to a year after Plaintiff initiated this action and have completely failed to participate in the action. See Evolusion Concepts, Inc. v. HOC Events, Inc., No. 2:19-cv-02736-JLS-DFM, 2022 WL 17541043, at *10 (C.D. Oct. 28, 2022). Accordingly, the Court finds it appropriate to award Plaintiff enhanced damages under 35 U.S.C. § 284 in the amount of three times Plaintiff’s lost profits, totaling $1,012,091.52. IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiff’s motion for default judgment (Doc. 40), as supplemented by its request for lost profits and enhanced damages (Doc. 44), is GRANTED as follows: 1. Plaintiff is awarded treble damages in the amount of $1,012,091.52. 2. Per the Court’s March 28, 2023 order, Defendants, their officers, agents, servants, employees, attorneys, and other persons in active participation with them are permanently enjoined during the life of the D925721 Patent from any and all acts of infringement of the D925721 Patent, including making, having made, using, selling, offering for sale, or importing into the United States the invention claimed in the D925721 Patent. 3. Per the Court’s March 28, 2023 order, Plaintiff is entitled to its reasonable attorney fees and costs upon submission to the Court, within 14 days of the date of this order, an itemized accounting of those fees. / / / / / / Case 2:21-cv-01407-DLR Document 48 Filed 02/01/24 Page 4 of 5 – 5 – 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 4. The Clerk of the Court shall enter judgment accordingly and terminate this case. Dated this 31st day of January, 2024.”
Source: PACER Docket, Case 2:21-cv-01407, Arizona District Court · Filed February 1, 2024

The court’s order is unusually comprehensive for a default judgment: it resolves both the pre-issuance damages question under § 154(d) and applies the statutory maximum treble multiplier under § 284 — a combination that is relatively rare in reported decisions. The phrasing ‘actively induced infringement’ under § 271(b) alongside total non-participation provides the willfulness foundation without any contested evidentiary record, which is consistent with how courts treat default posture but leaves the underlying infringement and patent validity completely untested. The permanent injunction’s sweep to ‘persons in active participation’ is the most durable enforcement tool here.

PACER case 2:21-cv-01407 · Public docket record Explore in Eureka ↗
Patent at issue

USD925721 — Ornamental design for a magnetic air vent extender

Publication No.USD0925721S
Application No.US29/760423
Patent details
AssigneeSpectrum Products, LLC
ProductUSD925721 — magnetic floor air vent extender, ornamental design
Publication typeB2 — grant (with prior publication)
Cited in actionAugust 15, 2021

USD925721 is a U.S. design patent covering the ornamental appearance of a magnetic air vent extender designed to attach to floor registers up to 12.9 inches wide and extend airflow up to 33 inches — typically used to direct conditioned air under furniture. The application (US29/760423) was filed December 1, 2020, and the patent issued July 20, 2021. As a design patent, it protects the specific visual appearance of the product, not its functional attributes, making claim scope defined by the patent’s figures rather than written claims.

Design patents in the home comfort and HVAC accessories space are increasingly used as IP enforcement tools against Amazon marketplace competitors because their visual scope is easier to establish in default proceedings than utility patent infringement. USD925721 sits in a product category — floor register extenders — with numerous low-cost competing products, suggesting ongoing enforcement risk for sellers whose products are visually similar to the patented design. The court’s acceptance of the design as valid and infringed on default means competitors have no prior art or invalidity ruling to rely on.

Patent data sourced from USPTO via PatSnap Eureka patent database Search patent records in Eureka ↗
Freedom to operate

Should you run an FTO against USD925721 before selling vent extenders?

Any company selling magnetic or mechanical floor air vent extenders — particularly those marketed on Amazon or other e-commerce platforms — should conduct a freedom-to-operate analysis against USD925721 before listing. The product category is active, the patent is now judicially confirmed through a default judgment, and the Spectrum v. D Home LLC case establishes that the holder is willing to litigate. Given the court’s acceptance of algorithm-based sales data for damages, a successful infringement claim in this space can rapidly compound into seven-figure exposure.

PatSnap Eureka’s FTO Search Agent allows R&D and product teams to map ornamental similarity across design patent figures, identify related continuation or continuation-in-part applications filed by Spectrum Products, and monitor new design applications in the HVAC accessories class. Setting a claim-change alert on USD925721 and its related family members ensures you receive early warning if Spectrum broadens its design portfolio — before a cease-and-desist letter arrives and the § 154(d) clock starts running.

PatSnap Eureka FTO Search

Run a freedom-to-operate analysis on USD0925721S to assess your product’s exposure

Run FTO in Eureka →
Related litigation

Similar design patent cases involving Amazon seller networks and home goods

PatSnap Eureka tracks related litigation across truck body equipment, vehicle accessories, and comparable infringement actions in the Georgia district system.

🔍
Access 40+ similar cases in PatSnap Eureka
Spectrum Products, LLC patent enforcement history, Arizona case history, Spectrum Products, LLC’s full IP portfolio, and comparable case analysis
HVAC accessory design casesAmazon multi-defendant defaults§ 284 treble damages awards§ 154(d) pre-issuance damages
Unlock similar cases in Eureka →
Strategic implications

What this case signals for the Amazon seller IP enforcement landscape

A $1M default judgment built on algorithm-derived sales data sets a replicable playbook for design patent holders targeting e-commerce infringers.

Jungle Scout data is now court-validated as a lost-profits calculation tool

The court accepted Jungle Scout’s algorithmic Amazon sales estimates as a ‘reasonable and fair measure’ of infringement volume. This validates a scalable enforcement methodology: patent holders with Amazon-listed competitors can quantify lost profits without needing access to defendants’ actual sales records. Design patent holders in the home goods, hardware, and consumer products space should take note.

Cease-and-desist letters do double duty — liability notice and pre-issuance damages trigger

Spectrum’s C&D letter sent before patent issuance served as both a litigation evidence anchor and the statutory trigger for § 154(d) provisional rights, extending the compensable infringement window by roughly six months. IP teams filing design applications for fast-moving consumer products should issue application-stage notice letters as standard practice to maximise the eventual damages period.

🔒
Full strategic analysis in PatSnap Eureka
Includes sector IP trends, Judge Treadwell’s case history, and FTO risk assessment for the truck equipment space
Enforcement success ratesAmazon seller venue strategyDesign patent damages benchmarks
Unlock full analysis →
Analysis powered by PatSnap Eureka Litigation Intelligence Explore in Eureka ↗
Frequently asked questions

Spectrum v Jie — key questions answered

Still have questions? PatSnap Eureka can answer them instantly from patent and litigation data. Ask Eureka ↗
PatSnap Eureka

Run your own FTO analysis on air vent and register accessory patents

Use PatSnap Eureka to search design patents in the HVAC accessories class, map claim scope against your product, and set alerts for new filings. Monitor enforcement activity before a C&D letter starts the pre-issuance damages clock.

Ask anything about this case.
PatSnap Eureka searches patents and litigation data to answer instantly.
Powered by PatSnap Eureka
Link copied to clipboard

Help us improve this page

Found incorrect or outdated information? Let us know and we'll get it fixed.