Boston, MA, November 29, 2017 – Velcro Companies won an important jury verdict in a patent lawsuit brought by YKK Corporation. The jury concluded that Velcro Companies’ VELCRO® Brand fasteners do not infringe YKK’s patent.
“We are pleased to have won a favorable jury verdict following a four-year lawsuit against YKK Corporation,” said Fraser Cameron, President and CEO of Velcro Companies.
“Innovation is what drives our work and has been deeply rooted in the company since its founding more than 60 years ago. We strongly believe in ethical conduct and the value of intellectual property, and we take care to ensure our new products do not infringe on existing patents. We are pleased the jury in this case agreed with us.”
In August 2013 YKK sued Velcro Companies – its primary rival in the transportation and automotive segment of the hook-and-loop fastener business – for patent infringement with the goal of obtaining an injunction and removing VELCRO® Brand 4Gi and MH4 hook fasteners from the transportation market. Many cars in the U.S. with fabric or leather covers use hook fastener strips embedded in seat cushions to secure seat trim covers, so a large market was at risk. The jury delivered a complete defense verdict of non-infringement, finding that Velcro Companies’ VELCRO® Brand fasteners do not infringe YKK’s patent.
The case is YKK Corporation et al v. Velcro USA Inc. (Middle District of Georgia). Velcro Companies was represented by Fish & Richardson (https://www.fr.com).
About Velcro Companies
Velcro Companies is a technology-driven, global organization providing fastening solutions that solve problems in simple, elegant and surprising ways for businesses and consumers around the world. We have a heritage of innovation spanning more than 50 years and own over 400 active patents and numerous trademarks, including the VELCRO® trademark, which is registered throughout the world. We develop and deliver solutions for customers through an integrated production and service system that includes manufacturing locations in the United States, Belgium, Canada, Mexico, Uruguay, Spain and China and sales offices around the world. To buy genuine VELCRO® brand products and to find out more about our company, visit www.velcro.com and www.dontsayvelcro.com.
Note to editors:
At Velcro Companies, we are proud that VELCRO® brand products have become a part of everyday life, but that ubiquity sometimes produces confusion. The VELCRO® trademark should be used only when referring to genuine VELCRO® brand fasteners. Non-VELCRO® brand products should be identified by their functional terms, such as “hook and loop,” “self-adhesive straps,” and so forth. The VELCRO® mark should always be used as an adjective and never as a noun or a verb. The term “Velcro Companies” should be used when referring to our company and its executives.
The proper use of the VELCRO® trademark assists us in safeguarding the integrity of the VELCRO® brand, and helps to protect consumers from products incorrectly sold as VELCRO® brand products. For further information on the proper use of the VELCRO® trademark, please see the guidelines on our website.
About Fish & Richardson
Fish & Richardson is a global patent prosecution, intellectual property litigation, and commercial litigation law firm with more than 400 attorneys and technology specialists in the U.S. and Europe. Our success is rooted in our creative and inclusive culture, which values the diversity of people, experiences, and perspectives. Fish is the No. 1 U.S. patent litigation firm, handling nearly three times as many cases as its nearest competitor; a powerhouse patent prosecution firm; a top-tier trademark and copyright firm; and the No. 1 firm at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, with more cases than any other firm. Since 1878, Fish attorneys have been winning cases worth billions in controversy – often by making new law – for the world’s most innovative and influential technology leaders. For more information, visit https://www.fr.com or follow us at @FishRichardson.
