BJI sues Laneventure, Lloyd/Flanders over patent
Joan Gunin -- Furniture Today, April 30, 2007
El Monte, Calif. — Casual furniture manufacturer BJI has filed separate lawsuits in federal court in Louisville, Ky., claiming patent infringement by competitors Lloyd/Flanders and Laneventure.
In statements last week, Lloyd/Flanders and Laneventure denied the allegations.
BJI, formerly known as Brown Jordan, claimed that Lloyd/Flanders and Laneventure sold certain all-weather furniture products that infringe on one or more patents BJI acquired from wicker manufacturer Sun Isle.
The suits seek to force both companies to stop selling these products and to pay BJI monetary damages.
BJI said it acquired intellectual property rights from Sun Isle in November, including 60 U.S. and international design patents, utility patents and pending applications relating to all-weather woven furniture and yarns, as well as the Sun Isle trademark.
In his statement, Dudley Flanders, president of Lloyd/Flanders, said his company is confident it does not infringe on any valid patent.
"The Lloyd Co. has been manufacturing wicker furniture from a variety of materials for over 100 years, and we feel we are innovators in the industry, not imitators," Flanders said.
Arthur Thompson, president and CEO of Laneventure, a division of Lane Furniture Inds., said the lawsuit alleges that Laneventure's Harbor Breeze collection somehow infringes on Sun Isle patents acquired by BJI.
"We are actively reviewing the infringement allegations with our lawyers to try and understand BJI's claims," Thompson said. "At this point, we see absolutely no substance to the lawsuit and BJI's claims of patent infringement, and plan to vigorously contest these allegations."
