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UPDATE: Culp, SRA settle suit over Viper fabric

SRA says it was only sales agent, not importer

Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, April 16, 2009

HIGH POINT — Fabric supplier Culp said it has reached an out-of-court settlement with SRA Fabrics over allegations that SRA infringed on Culp's copyrighted Congo fabric by selling a product called Viper.

Culp said SRA has agreed not to sell the Viper fabric or any fabric with the same or substantially similar design as Congo.

"Culp has invested a great deal of resources into creating unique fabric designs, and we intend to protect our investment, reputation and good will by aggressively pursuing all forms of copyright infringement," said Frank Saxon, Culp president and CEO.

Shelly Rosenberg, a principal of New York-based SRA, acknowledged the settlement but said SRA Fabrics was not responsible for importing the fabric. He said SRA never owned any inventory and acted only as an independent sales agent for a West Coast distributor who was responsible for the product.

He said SRA sold only a couple hundred yards of the fabric and no longer represents the distributor, which he declined to name.

"SRA Fabrics fully agrees with Culp Inc. that copyrighted product should not be duplicated and deserves the protection. SRA has earned a reputation in our 22-year history of integrity and service. This mischaracterization of SRA's role in this episode is counter to everything we stand for as a company," Rosenberg said.

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