Archer Aviation sues rival Vertical, alleging air taxi design patent infringement

Archer Aviation on Monday filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Vertical Aerospace, alleging that its UK rival illegally copied the design of its Midnight air taxi.

Archer alleges that Vertical infringed on “at least” two design patents and one utility patent.

“Vertical has knowingly, willfully, and in reckless disregard leveraged and exploited the substantial goodwill and reputation associated with Archer’s patented designs,” the lawsuit reads. “Vertical’s infringement is readily apparent from a visual comparison of the overall appearance of the Valo to Archer’s patented designs.”

Archer included the following image comparison in its complaint:

Archer and Vertical’s rivalry has heated up in recent months. Vertical last week announced that it’s targeting an air taxi network in Florida, which would overlap with Archer’s planned Miami network. Earlier this year, Vertical also announced plans for an NYC network, mirroring Archer’s plans in the city.

Last week, Archer announced that Bristol, England, will be home to its UK engineering hub. Vertical is also based in Bristol.

Archer is involved in a legal battle with air taxi rival Joby Aviation as well. Joby sued the company in November last year, alleging Archer stole its trade secrets and used them to undercut a partnership deal. Archer has moved to have the lawsuit dismissed.

Update, February 24, 5:20 p.m. ET: A Vertical spokesperson issued the following statement to Sherwood News:

“Archer’s recent claims are without merit, and Vertical intends to defend those claims vigorously. Vertical has developed a robust aircraft design with a clear path to certification, underpinned by Vertical’s proprietary and market-leading technology and international IP portfolio. Archer’s claims are merely an attempt to distract from Archer’s challenges competing in the marketplace.”