US District Court rules out Callaway Golf’s claim over Pro V1 golf ball design in favour of Acushnet
US District Court on Thursday finally ruled out a lawsuit filed by Callaway Golf against Titleist-parent Acushnet over patent violation of Callaway’s ball designs. The lawsuit was filed in the court in February 2006 by Callaway Golf, which claimed that Acushnet
has violated the patent right of Top-Flite to design their Pro V1 golf ball. The Top-Flite design was bought by Callaway some years back and the company has since been rolling out its balls on the patent rights acquired. The court not only ruled out Callaway’s
allegations against Acushnet but also rejected a request for a new trial. Callaway, however, still have the rights to file another application in the US Circuit Court and another one thereafter in the US Federal Court.
Tim Buckman, spokesman for the Callaway Golf, issued an official statement about their disappointment over the results and revealed that the company will be filing a review application in the Circuit Court.
“We are disappointed with the court’s decision, especially in light of our victory in the first trial and Acushnet’s admitted infringement of our patents. We will appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit,” Buckman said.
The issue surfaced in the beginning of 2006 when Acushnet requested the US patent and Trademark Office to re-examine the five golf ball design patents Callaway owned. The following month, Callaway filed a lawsuit against Acushnet accusing them of violating
the rights. The first verdict of the court came out in December 2007 when the Callaway won the lawsuit and Acushnet was barred from selling the patented design and was ordered to pay $150 million in damages. The company stopped selling its stockpile of Pro
V1 and had to suffer the setback of rolling back the production line and designing a new ball for its clients.
Acushnet appealed against the ruling and a three-judge panel approved of the inconsistencies found in the earlier ruling and gave a verdict in favour of Acushnet in March last year. Callaway again filed a lawsuit requesting a review of the ruling which was
turned down on Thursday, April 21, 2011.
“Today’s positive ruling substantiates what our contention has been throughout this process, that the patents in question were invalid and should never have been issued,” said Joe Nauman, Executive Vice President Corporate and Legal for Acushnet.
Callaway Golf and Titleist owned Acushnet are one of the leading golf equipment manufacturing companies in the world. The two companies are often engaged in cut throat competition in designing new and improved equipment for players worldwide. The two competitors
are also often at loggerheads over player endorsements and sponsorships. With the current ruling, Acushnet will restart its production of the Pro V1 which was disbanded some three years ago and will also be introducing their latest new Pro V1 golf ball.
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