iRobot goes on the radio to talk about Robotic FX lawsuits

In a radio interview, iRobot Government and Industrial Robotics President Joe Dyer talks about "a different battle" on the "home front" with Robotic FX, maker of the Negotiator robot that just won a $280 million contract. Dyer called the Negotiator a "knockoff" of iRobot's PackBot.
Dyer and iRobot lawyer Ruffin Cordell give a timeline of the affair.
Dyer said that a government official first made him aware of the Negotiator in late 2006.
"The quote was, they look like they're ripping you off," Dyer said. After which, iRobot investigated the design of the Negotiator and issued a cease-and-desist letter to Robotic FX in January and in February received a letter back from Robotic FX saying they were guiltless.
In May, iRobot went to meet with Army contracting officials in Orlando, "and only after being frustrated in those attempts" did iRobot file suit. "This belief that this action just started or was precipitated by this competition is clearly incorrect."
(Jameel Ahed has accused iRobot of filing suit only when they are in competition for a major contract.)

You can download the MP3 at this link.

iRobot attorney Ruffin Cordell talked to WBZ radio's Anthony Silva about their lawsuits against Robotic FX's Negotiator robots. (Robotic FX did not respond to WBZ's call requesting comment.) You can listen at this link to this MP3. The WBZ radio page is here.

"Much to our dismay, the private investigator observed that in fact the principals of Robotic FX had no intention of preserving things, and witnessed them taking material out of the company late at night, and the next day observed them placing some materials into a Dumpster," Cordell says. He outlines the U.S. Marshals search, with this new tidbit: "We learned that (Jameel Ahed) had destroyed about 100 CD-Roms. ...He bought two shredders and then proceeded to destroy that evidence." Cordell also says that Ahed had wiped the hard drives of several computers using sophisticated wiping software, including a laptop that he had owned while he was employed at iRobot. Robotic FX's computers were seized and taken to a lawyer in Chicago to prevent any further destruction of evidence.
The temporary restraining order against destroying evidence has been continued.

thx, zanzibario!