Brunswick, Zodiac agree to suit dismissal
FOND DU LAC, Wis. – A lawsuit filed last summer by Zodiac, which claimed that Brunswick Corporation’s Amanzi 380 Deluxe rigid-hull inflatable boat infringed upon a Zodiac patent and its subsidiary AVON’s trade dress, was dismissed last week as part of an agreement reached between the companies, a press release said yesterday.
Zodiac and Brunswick have agreed that the current version of the Amanzi boat is appropriate for sale by Brunswick. Under this agreement, Zodiac agreed not to sue Brunswick and its dealers and will dismiss the current lawsuit.
“We are satisfied that the current version of the boat in question has been substantially modified, to the point where we are able to reach a resolution with Brunswick on this patent and trade dress infringement issue,” said J.J. Marie, Zodiac president and CEO.
Marie went on to say that Zodiac would continue to vigorously defend its intellectual property rights across the globe.
Zodiac of North America Inc., Zodiac International and its AVON Inflatables Ltd. Subsidiary had filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, not long after Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corporation, introduced the Amanzi model.
But Mercury Marine president Pat Mackey said his company was also satisfied with the agreement.
“We are pleased this issue is now behind us and we can return our focus to the service of our dealers and end customers,” Mackey said.
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