GLOCK Pistols Settles Trademark Infringement Lawsuit

[Gunreference1]

Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 1:38 pm

GLOCK Pistols Settles Trademark Infringement Lawsuit


ISSC M22-2 Hangun

SMYRNA, Ga. --(AmmoLand.com)- GLOCK, maker of the internationally-famous family of GLOCK pistols, has settled a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against Austrian Sporting Arms, Inc. (“ASA”) and ISSC Handels GmbH (“ISSC”).

The lawsuit involved claims for trade dress infringement, trade dress dilution, and unfair competition based on ASA’s sales of a .22 caliber pistol known as the M22, which is manufactured in Austria by ISSC.

GLOCK alleged in the lawsuit that the M22 has an appearance that is confusingly similar to the distinctive appearance and overall image of the GLOCK pistols.

Without admitting liability, ASA and ISSC agreed to resolve the matter by redesigning the M22 to differentiate its appearance from the appearance of the GLOCK family of pistols, to cease further imports of the M22 until the redesign is complete, and to pay GLOCK an undisclosed amount.

The specific terms of the settlement are confidential.

http://www.ammoland.com/2010/08/16/g...ement-lawsuit/

Steve

[AKTexas]

I should have bought this one when I had the chance then.Seems cheap to me so I passed on it.

[vit]

It's fucked up when one Austrian company sues another Austrian company in Georgia over stupid shit.

unfair competition based on ASA’s sales of a .22 caliber pistol known as the M22

Glock doesn't even make a 22LR pistol...

[RJ Shooter]

If Ford started making a car that looked EXACTLY like the new Challenger, yet called it the Dillinger and put a new 454 in it called the Heni - don't you think Dodge would have a right to sue?

Trademarked or Patented design charactoristics are a good thing, not a stupid thing...

[FunkyPertwee]

If Ford started making a car that looked EXACTLY like the new Challenger, yet called it the Dillinger and put a new 454 in it called the Heni - don't you think Dodge would have a right to sue?

Trademarked or Patented design charactoristics are a good thing, not a stupid thing...

If Dodge doesn't offer any reasons to choose their design over the Ford, then I would hope Dodge would lose money. I don't care if it looks the same, let the free market determine which is better.

If Glock is too stoopid to make a profit selling .22 Glock look-a-likes, it's there fault. If they do decide to make one then I hope its quality matches its price, otherwise I'll buy a different brand.

Just like with this "crises" of unliscened fashion products. If the real deal purse is worth 10 times as much as the Chinese ripoff, I'll pay it. Otherwise, too bad.

[aliceinchains]

GLOCK alleged in the lawsuit that the M22 has an appearance that is confusingly similar.


Well if it looks similar then i don't see anything confusing.

[Schuetzenman]

Looks like the Glock trainer that Glock isn't smart enough to produce. LOL Wish I could find one. Could become a collectors item.

[RJ Shooter]

I don't care if it looks the same, let the free market determine which is better.

Then why patent anything? Why trademark anything?

I guess you don't know much about economics then, do you? According to your logic, you can spend a ton of your own money designing something very cool! You have the potential to make something of yourself with your cutting edge design. There is no patent office, so you just hope you can market your design and make some money. The only problem is, Mega Manufacturing Corp sees your design and wants to make it themselves. They copy your design, verbatim, and start mass producing the product because they have the resources. Because they are more well-endowed financially than you, they make millions of copies of your original design, at half the price you were asking for yours. You don't sell ANYTHING, because you have no rights, and their product is cheaper...

In your world, only the rich would continue to get rich and monopolize anything and everything.

Patents are there for a reason, and that reason is good!

[FunkyPertwee]

In your world, only the rich would continue to get rich and monopolize anything and everything.

Patents are there for a reason, and that reason is good!

In this case, I'm supporting the small guy while patent law is protecting the Mega Manufacturing Corps.

Somebody came up with a new design, and their not allowed to sell it because it looks too much like the old design.

If market conditions lead me to buy one product over another, the government should have no say in it. It's the same reason I don't support import tariffs. Who is government to tell me who to buy from?

No, I'm not an economics expert. Lucky for me your here to teach me.

[RJ Shooter]

A patent, is a patent, and a trademark, is a trademark. Sorry that's too hard to understand.

[FunkyPertwee]

A patent, is a patent. Sorry that's too hard to understand.

I don't believe that the law was broken.

I do believe that "looking alike" should not be a part of the "patent system", which no, I don't understand.

However, I seriously doubt that any .22 could actually be a "copy" of a Glock. It seems like it must only look like a Glock, and I imagine that's why they were told to change the "appearance", and not redesign the weapon.

I'm not a lawyer, or an economist, so I'm not trying to convince you of being incorrect about the law. You probably know it better than me. My disagreement is that the law, however its written, shouldn't allow Mega Manufacturing Corps, this case Glock, to stifle the "Little man's" attempt at making a profit.

Glock does not offer this product, how on Earth could this little company be wrongfully taking Glock's profits.

Unfortunately, even if the law sides with the little guy, big man's money pays for a better legal team and little man knows its cheaper to settle.

So I hate to insult you with my ignorance, but I just don't think the Government legal system should be the battleground where manufacturers compete.

[RJ Shooter]

...I just don't think the Government legal system should be the battleground where manufacturers compete.

I agree. But they should compete with unique ideas rather than plagiarized ones...

...that being said, I'd love to have a flawless functioning MP5 clone. And the new little Diamondback .380, which looks kind of like a small Glock, looks like an interesting pocket pistol.