Fish & Richardson has removed Velcro Companies from patent litigation after winning a major jury verdict in November. The jury found that Velcro, the defendant, did not infringe upon a patent held by YKK Corp., the company’s primary rival in the transportation and automotive segment of the hook and loop fastener business.
The decision is the first patent jury verdict in M.D. Ga since 2001 and the first patent jury verdict in Georgia since 2008.
The case dates back to August 2013 when YKK sued Velcro Companies – the original inventor of hook and loop fasteners – for patent infringement with the goal of obtaining an injunction and removing VELCRO® Brand fasteners 4Gi and MH4 hook 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.
“We are thrilled to deliver this much deserved win to our client. Velcro Companies is built on innovation and they understand and respect intellectual property rights. We were confident that Velcro Companies did not infringe YKK’s patent and the jury agreed,” said Fish principal Christopher Green, who led the litigation.
In addition to Green, the Fish trial team included principals Thad Kodish and Frank Scherkenbach, and associates Jacqueline Tio, Sara Fish, and Bailey Benedict. The case is YKK Corporation et al v. Velcro USA Inc. (Middle District of Georgia).