Steve Suddell, inventor of the “Neck Hammock,” raised just over $200k on Kickstarter. He was on cloud nine – for about a minute. A week later, he began receiving angry emails from backers stating that his product was being sold for 50% less on other websites. After some investigation, he found websites featuring all of his images, videos, and content, advertising the Neck Hammock at half the price. He was concerned that Kickstarter would take his project down (as was the case with another product campaign, C-Rest), because the listings violated their policy of “not being able to sell the product anywhere else as long as the campaign is active.” The problem was, his product was not being sold elsewhere; rather, it had been copied and counterfeited. This has become very common with Kickstarter projects, and while Kickstarter is aware of the problem, it has not taken any steps to help the creators/inventors on its platform.

Yekutiel Sherman also knows all too well what it’s like to become a victim of China’s lightning-speed copycats. After he launched his Kickstarter campaign (but prior to manufacturing his first unit) of the “Stikbox,” a smartphone case that turns into a selfie stick, a cheap knockoff version of the product was being sold on AliExpress at half the price.

Unfortunately, these experiences are not uncommon. Crowdfunding platforms, Amazon and sites like Taobao have become feeders for knock-off artists to source other people’s new gadgets. These companies are deep-pocketed, and can get a product manufactured and sold well before the inventor’s campaign is fully funded. This just goes to show that your brilliant idea – even if it is patented or trademarked – could be on sale through Chinese distributors or other bootleggers even before you’ve gotten your project funded.

If you are an inventor who is considering using a crowdfunding site to fund your new idea, be diligent in protecting your proprietary information. There are strategies you can employ that describe the features, advantages, benefits and objectives of your invention without disclosing key details that would enable someone else to rip you off. Consider scheduling a consultation with an experienced intellectual property attorney who can provide you with some affordable strategies to protect your product, such as working with U.S. Customs and Border Control.

Copper pots and pans (or at least copper in color) are the latest sensation in cookware. Big sellers such as Copper Chef (Tristar Products, Inc.), Red Copper (Telebrands Corp.) and Gotham Steel (E Mishan & Sons, Inc (“Emson”)) have spent thousands in marketing dollars to promote these competing products. However, with so many cooks in the kitchen, someone is bound to get burned; and if Keith Mirchandani has it his way, it won’t be Tristar.

On February 21, 2017 Tristar filed lawsuits against Telebrands (and Bulbhead.com LLC) and Emson for patent infringement, trade dress infringement and unfair competition. According to the complaints, Tristar has been marketing its Copper Chef product line since as early as June 2016 and holds three patents for its Copper Chef line, two of which were just issued this month. Tristar has also filed for injunctions to prevent Telebrands and Emson from “making, using, selling [and] offering for sale” the products allegedly infringing on the Copper Chef line. As of today, February 28, 2017, the orders have yet to be granted.

This isn’t the first time these companies have faced off in court, and at least Telebrands has proven time and time again that it has the recipe for stalling litigation so it can continue to sell a product. Telebrands’ secret sauce: the United States Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”).

When an action is filed with the PTAB, courts halt litigation until such time that the PTAB makes a ruling on whether the patent in question is valid. In at least two separate lawsuits brought against Telebrands for patent infringement (for its Pocket Hose & Balloon Bonanza products), the company has filed invalidation proceedings with the PTAB challenging the validity of the patents it was accused of infringing. The strategy for invalidation is that if the patent is determined to have been improperly issued then, no infringement could have occurred. Telebrands successfully invalidated some of the patent claims with regard to the balloon product, but the PTAB declined to review the hose patent on the basis that it was determined to be valid. The action is now proceeding in court and could still take years to reach an outcome.

A successful product invites copycats, and Tristar will likely have a long battle on its hands for this one. It will be interesting to see if Telebrands stays true to its methods and attempts to invalidate Tristar’s patents.

It is imperative to have seasoned intellectual property attorneys filing patents and trademarks and diligently monitoring infringing activity as well as advising you on the risks of infringing third party patents. In some instances, it is more cost effective to license a product than to knock it off and face the consequences. A well-planned IP strategy will help product owners to better survive or avoid the messy and lengthy proceedings of IP litigation. Remember, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Please email Jessica@DigitalLawGroup.com if you have any questions or would like more information regarding the content above.