It may not be Apple versus Samsung, but the baby gear business saw a major patent lawsuit filed last week—Baby Jogger has sued Britax, claiming Britax’s B-Agile stroller copied Baby Jogger’s City Mini.
Specifically, Baby Jogger says Britax violated Baby Jogger’s Quick-Fold Technology patent, as well as trade dress infringement. According to a press release, the suit asserts:
“[t]hrough its use, adoption, appropriation and/or copying of the City Mini Trade Dress, without authorization, Britax is attempting to ‘catch up’ with an established competitor, Baby Jogger, and is misleading, deceiving and/or confusing consumers in the marketplace as to the source, origin, sponsorship or approval of the B-Agile stroller.” In addition, the suit alleges that “Britax began using an advertisement for its B-Agile stroller that mimicked a long-running advertisement by Baby Jogger showing how the quick-fold technology of the City Mini works,” resulting in “consumers expressing uncertainty and confusion regarding the source of the B-Agile stroller, whether Baby Jogger had authorized the B-Agile design, and whether Baby Jogger had licensed Britax to make the B-Agile stroller, among other things.”
Britax for its part says it hasn’t violated any of Baby Jogger’s patents, according to a statement to BabyBargains.com:
Britax Child Safety, Inc. respects the intellectual property rights of others and relies on its own intellectual property to design and sell its products. Britax disputes that it has infringed any valid and protectable rights owned by Baby Jogger, and will vigorously defend itself against the allegations in the lawsuit.