US$6.8M IN DAMAGES AWARDEDHOMENEWSINDUSTRY NEWSUS$6.8M IN DAMAGES AWARDED24 Feb 2020EmailShareFacebookLinkedInTwitterPrintLaserPerformance has been ordered to pay damages to Bruce Kirby for infringing his Laser name trademark Credit: pixabayINDUSTRY DATABASELASER PERFORMANCELaserPerformance has been ordered by a US court to pay damages of more than US$6.8m for infringing the trademark of the original designer of the Laser dinghy.After a four-day trial, the jury found in favour of sailboat designer Bruce Kirby who alleged that after he ended an agreement to have LaserPerformance sell his design, the company continued selling boats with his name and mark on them.The jury found that LaserPerformance, legally known as Quarter Moon Inc., had wilfully infringed Kirby’s trademark, and awarded Kirby US$4.33 million from Quarter Moon and US$2.52 million from its European unit, LaserPerformance (Europe) Ltd. The court will also assess whether punitive damages are warranted.Ripping offYacht designer Bruce Kirby is best known for designing the Laser in 1969. He represented Canada in the Finn and Star classes at the Olympics Games in 1956, 1964, and 1968. He filed suit in March 2013, alleging that LaserPerformance, a name shared by several companies controlled by Farzard Rastegar, was ripping off the sailboat design created by Kirby around 1970.Authorised builders can use the design and put a plaque featuring Kirby’s name and trademark on the hull of each boat, and only boats with those plaques can be used in international sailboat races. Mr Kirby alleged that this system worked well for more than 20 years before LaserPerformance decided to stop paying royalties but continued using Kirby’s design and marks.Earlier this year, the International Laser Class Association announced that the ‘Laser’ name would no longer be used.

via Boating Business | US$6.8m in damages awarded.