In a patent case for the digital age, the International Trade Commission issued a ruling Thursday that establishes infringing products brought into the United States through electronic transmission are deemed “articles” even though they don’t have physical form, and therefore can be banned by the agency.
The ruling, which had been delayed at least four times, came out of a case in which Align Technology Inc., a maker of a clear, almost-invisible teeth-straightening system, had asked the ITC to ban the infringing digital imports of its main competitor, ClearCorrect Operating LLC.
