Alien Rides
Contents6
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2021 |
| Legal Structure | Private |
| Industry | Electric vehicles,Retail |
| Also known as | Alien Technology Group Inc,AlienRides |
| Official website | https://alienrides.com/ |
Alien Rides (legally Alien Technology Group, Inc.) is a personal electric vehicle retailer and repair shop in San Francisco, California. In January 2026, the company co-filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission seeking to ban imports of electric unicycles from five major Chinese manufacturers, using two patents held by its partner Inventist, Inc.[1] The ITC instituted Investigation No. 337-TA-1488 on March 2, 2026.[2]
Consumer-impact summary
- Co-complainant with Inventist in an ITC Section 337 case seeking a general exclusion order that would block electric unicycles from five manufacturers at the U.S. border[3]
- Named respondents (LeaperKim, BEGODE, Inmotion, Kingsong, Nosfet) account for nearly all high-performance EUC models available in the United States[4]
- EUC community organized a boycott of Alien Rides after the filing became public[5]
Incidents
Anti-competitive tendencies (2026)
- Main article: AlienRides LLC tries and bans all importation of Electric Unicycles using patent law unless licensing fee is paid.
Inventist and Alien Rides filed an ITC complaint on January 21, 2026, asserting U.S. Patent No. 8,807,250 and U.S. Patent No. D729,698 against five Chinese EUC manufacturers. The complaint seeks a general exclusion order that would block the named products at the U.S. border unless the manufacturers agree to licensing terms.[3] The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit had previously affirmed that at least one respondent's second-generation designs did not infringe the utility patent.[6]
Background
Alien Rides operates a retail and repair shop at 2256 Palou Ave, San Francisco.[3] The company is the U.S. distribution partner for Inventist, Inc., founded by Shane Chen, the inventor of the Solowheel self-balancing electric unicycle.[1] Alien Technology Group filed a trademark for "Alien Rides" in June 2021 covering online retail for personal electric vehicles.[5]
Kevin Grandon operates the business. In a January 28, 2026 statement responding to community backlash, Grandon stated that "patent enforcement does not mean the industry has to stop" and that "licensing is common across every technology sector."[5]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Notice of Receipt of Complaint; Solicitation of Comments Relating to the Public Interest". Federal Register. U.S. Government Publishing Office. January 26, 2026. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "USITC Institutes Section 337 Investigation of Certain Gyro-Stabilized Electric Unicycles and Components Thereof". United States International Trade Commission. March 2, 2026. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Certain Gyro-Stabilized Electric Unicycles and Components Thereof and Products Containing the Same; Institution of Investigation". Federal Register. U.S. Government Publishing Office. March 5, 2026. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ Mwaniki, Amos (January 29, 2026). "Shocking Scandal: Alien Rides Accused of Patent Scheme to Block EUC Imports and Crush Competition!". Eride Corner. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 WheelGoodTime (January 28, 2026). "URGENT: Imminent Death Threat of the Entire EUC Industry". Electric Unicycle Forum. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Inventist Inc. v. Ninebot Inc. (USA), No. 24-1010" (PDF). United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. November 14, 2025. Retrieved 2026-03-26.