Amazon’s Judging of IP Claims Questioned in Seller Lawsuits (2)

Puppy toys should have nothing to do with car engines.

But a recent court complaint says Amazon.com Inc. halted sales of a “puppy sleep aid” after being told a storefront selling on its marketplace infringed two patents—one registered in 1895, and another directed to a Japanese “combustion device.”

“Neither patent is enforceable. Neither patent is owned by any Defendant,” the complaint says.

As Amazon expands its reign over e-commerce and gets more aggressive about rooting out counterfeiting, it’s taking a more active role in judging intellectual property disputes between merchants on its platform. But seven court complaints filed by ...