Disney Genie+ at the Center of a New Lawsuit

The Walt Disney Company has been no stranger to controversy recently, with the dissolution of Reedy Creek, a CEO shake-up, and a few lawsuits regarding annual pass programs in both Disney World and Disneyland.

Genie+ in Disney World

The legal battles don’t seem to end there, either. A new lawsuit has been filed in Florida alleging Disney stole infringed on the patent from a theme park technology firm for its Genie and Genie+ system — here’s what we know.

A California-based theme park tech firm has filed a lawsuit alleging Disney infringed on one of its patents as it relates to Disney Genie and Genie+, according to the Orlando Business Journal.

Lightning Lane

The suit was filed on December 2nd in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida Fort Myers Division by Agile Journeys LLC, who are claiming damages caused by Disney.

Kilimanjaro Safaris

The company is based in Glendale, California, and is claiming Disney infringed on a patent published in 2002, titled “Method and Apparatus for Providing Visitors with a Personalized Itinerary and Managed Access to Attractions.” The Agile Journeys tech patent “describes a personalized itinerary system for attraction visitors.”

©Agile Journeys LLC

The lawsuit reads, “Disney has infringed and continues to infringe (literally and/or under the doctrine of equivalents), directly, indirectly, and/or through subsidiaries, agents, representatives or intermediaries, one or more claims of the [patent] by making, using, testing, supplying, causing to be supplied, selling and/or offering for sale in the United States the Disney Genie system, including the Disney Genie App.”

©Agile Journeys LLC

Additionally, Agile Journeys claims its patent co-inventor, William Gibbens Redmann, had been contacted by Disney representatives regarding the tech and that Redmann and Disney had exchanged emails about it.

Lightning Lane at Expedition Everest

The lawsuit goes on to say that Disney had attempted to patent Disney Genie (or a similar system) multiple times before, and that the Agile Journeys patent was cited as a reason for the application’s rejection.

It reads, “Notwithstanding Disney’s knowledge of [Agile’s patent], Disney has knowingly or with reckless disregard willfully infringed the [patent]. Disney has acted despite an objectively high likelihood that its actions constituted infringement of the [patent]. The objective risk that Disney infringed the [patent] was known or so obvious that it should have been known to Disney.”

©Agile Journeys LLC

A jury trial has been requested, seeking judgements that Disney infringed on one or more claims of the patent, an order requiring Disney to pay Agile Journeys “enhanced damages,” and an order that would require Disney pay royalties to Agile Journeys moving forward. According to the Orlando Business Journal, Disney does not have an attorney listed in the court documents yet.

Genie+ Lightning Lane

We’ll continue to monitor this situation as it evolves and will let you know of any updates. To read more about the latest Walt Disney Company news, check out the posts below:

Stay tuned to AllEars for more Disney news.

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