By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Import clearance: U.S. Customs and Border Protection has ruled that STIIIZY’s redesigned All-In-One (AIO) vape does not infringe PAX Labs’ patents and is not covered by the ITC’s exclusion order.
- Third favorable ruling: The decision marks the third time CBP has found redesigned STIIIZY vape products outside the scope of PAX’s asserted patents.
- Patent dispute continues: The ruling follows an ITC decision in January 2026 that found that earlier STIIIZY products infringed PAX patents, prompting the company to redesign parts of its product line.
STIIIZY has secured another victory in its ongoing patent battle with PAX Labs, clearing a key redesigned vape product for import into the United States.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has determined that STIIIZY’s redesigned All-In-One (AIO) vape device does not infringe the patents at issue in the U.S. International Trade Commission’s exclusion order, allowing the product to continue entering the U.S. market and being sold there.
The ruling, issued July 10, concludes that the redesigned AIO falls outside the scope of the limited exclusion order the ITC issued following its January 2026 decision on PAX Labs’ patent claims.
The ITC previously found that certain discontinued STIIIZY vapor products infringed PAX Labs’ patents and issued a limited exclusion order prohibiting the importation of those products. Rather than appealing solely through the courts, STIIIZY redesigned several products and submitted them to CBP for an administrative ruling to determine whether the new designs remained covered by the exclusion order.
“This is now the third decision by the CBP rejecting PAX Labs’ patent infringement claims against STIIIZY,” the company said.
According to STIIIZY, CBP previously determined that its redesigned V3 vapor products did not infringe the asserted patents. In June, the agency also ruled that redesigned STIIIZY batteries imported alongside the company’s modified pods were not subject to the exclusion order.
The latest ruling extends that series of favorable determinations to the redesigned AIO device. “We are pleased the CBP has affirmed that our redesigned products are cleared for sale,” said Tak Sato, president of STIIIZY. “Now we can focus on continuing to deliver innovative, high-quality products that our customers can rely on.”
The dispute stems from a patent complaint filed by PAX Labs with the ITC, alleging that STIIIZY imported vaporizer products that infringed several U.S. patents covering vaping technology. After finding a violation of Section 337 of the Tariff Act, the ITC issued a limited exclusion order prohibiting the importation of the infringing products while allowing redesigned versions that do not infringe the patents.
CBP’s role is to determine whether modified products fall within the scope of an exclusion order. A favorable ruling permits the importation of the redesigned products without violating the ITC’s order.
The broader litigation between PAX Labs and STIIIZY remains ongoing.
