Qingdao Baizi Seeks a Declaratory Judgment That Felt Right's Acoustic Felt Tile Patent Is Invalid.

The complaint

Qingdao Baizi Acoustic Technology Co., Ltd. v. Felt Right, LLC, No. 1:26-cv-11174 (N.D. Ill., Eastern Division), is a nine-page complaint for declaratory judgment and injunctive relief filed September 14, 2026, ECF No. 1, with a jury demand. Qingdao Baizi, which the complaint describes as a Chinese company selling acoustic felt products on Amazon under the storefront name Mollywell Direct, alleges that Felt Right submitted an Amazon intellectual-property complaint under U.S. Patent 12,486,674 against forty-seven of its listings and that Amazon notified it on June 10, 2026 that the listings had been removed. The complaint alleges, on information and belief, that Felt Right is a Utah limited liability company and the owner or assignee of the '674 patent. The docket's assignment entry shows the case assigned to Judge Georgia N. Alexakis.

What the patent covers

U.S. Patent 12,486,674 is titled Felt tiles and tile kits and issued December 2, 2025. Claim 1 covers a tile with a rigid felt body whose top and bottom surfaces are parallel and geometrically similar, with the top surface smaller than the bottom surface, the bottom surface configured to attach to a substantially flat surface, and a thickness no greater than 1 inch. The side surfaces consist of a first set connected to the top surface, not perpendicular to the top or bottom surface, and disposed around the whole top perimeter, and a second set connected to the bottom surface, perpendicular to the top surface, and disposed around the whole bottom perimeter, each joined to a side surface of the first set to form chamfered edges.

What the lawsuit is about

The only count seeks a declaratory judgment that the asserted claims of the '674 patent are invalid under 35 U.S.C. 102 and/or 103. The complaint points to pre-filing Amazon product listings, video evidence, and wall-covering references showing felt acoustic panels, chamfered edges, adhesive mounting, and grooves, and argues that any remaining differences would have been obvious. It groups the forty-seven accused listings into thirty-three plain hexagonal panels, nine carved or patterned hexagonal panels, and five 24-inch square panels. The prayer asks for a judgment of invalidity, equitable relief requiring Felt Right to withdraw or correct its platform complaints to the extent they conflict with the judgment and restraining further assertion of the patent against Qingdao Baizi's products, costs, and attorneys' fees if the case is found exceptional.

The complaint also identifies two other declaratory-judgment actions against Felt Right on the same patent pending in the Northern District of Illinois, Nos. 1:26-cv-05968 and 1:26-cv-08116.

What to watch next

The court set an initial status hearing for November 24, 2026, with a joint initial status report due November 17, 2026 (ECF No. 5). Watch for Felt Right's appearance and response to the complaint.