MIT professors sue Ford, claim EcoBoost engines use patented tech

The inventors claim Ford used their patented injection technology without a licensing agreement.

Ford reportedly faces a lawsuit filed by a group of Massachusetts Institute of Technology professors who claim the company did not obtain permission to use patented technology in some EcoBoost engines.

The intellectual property dispute centers around patents for dual direct and port fuel-injection technology, according to Bloomberg.

The report highlights Ford's history of partnership with MIT, culminating in a 2007 joint research program that pursued innovations in powertrain efficiency. The lawsuit claims the collaboration eventually ended and Ford refused to negotiate licensing agreements with a group the company described as "greedy inventors" in a 2015 email exchange.

EcoBoost engines are now used in most Ford vehicles, ranging from the Mustang to the F-150 -- representing tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue.