Pratt & Whitney has filed patent-infringement complaints against Rolls-Royce Group for its Trent 900 and 1000 engines. P&W states in a filing with the International Trade Commission in Washington that Rolls-Royce is infringing a patent for a swept-fan blade.
Pratt & Whitney believe is has a strong case and a spokesperson for the company states it was “left with no choice but to take these actions in light of Rolls-Royce’s aggression”.
Should Pratt & Whitney win the suit, Rolls-Royce would be blocked from shipping Trent 1000 engines into the US for the 787, further exacerbating delays.