Oracle Lighting has taken legal action against Chinese knockoffs of its Vector Grill.
Its Vector Grill product was unveiled at a Las Vegas trade show in 2017, with fake versions originating from China appearing shortly after.
Oracle Lighting took their patent infringement case against the producers of fake Vector Grills in a local court in Nanjing in Jiangsu Province, China.
Justin Hartenstein, director of product development at Oracle Lighting, emphasised that the legal action is just the company's first step toward protecting itself against counterfeiters, stating: "We take our intellectual property rights very seriously and are willing to do whatever it takes to prevent the theft of our patented designs. If that means going to court in China or any other country, we'll be there.”
Its Vector Grill product is designed to be used with the Jeep Wrangler JL.
Oracle Lighting are being represented by Edwin A. Swinson attorney Jeffrey Banyas, who coordinated the effort to obtain and enforce Oracle Lighting’s design patents in the US and China.
He commented: “We set out on this enforcement effort with the goal of identifying and stopping these products at their source as opposed to trying to corral them when they are already at distributors or customers.”
“A lot of businesses operate on the mistaken belief that there is nothing you can do about illegal goods coming out of China.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth. There are several options available for obtaining and enforcing IP rights in China, and doing so can have real benefits for your business.”
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