Columbia Sportswear North America, Inc. v. Seirus Innovative Accessories

202 F. Supp. 3d 1186, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 105332, 2016 WL 4254294
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedAugust 10, 2016
DocketNo. 3:15-cv-00064-HZ
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 202 F. Supp. 3d 1186 (Columbia Sportswear North America, Inc. v. Seirus Innovative Accessories) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Columbia Sportswear North America, Inc. v. Seirus Innovative Accessories, 202 F. Supp. 3d 1186, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 105332, 2016 WL 4254294 (D. Or. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION & ORDER

HERNÁNDEZ, District Judge.

Plaintiff, Columbia Sportswear North America, Inc. (“Columbia”) owns three patents, U.S. Patent Nos. 8,424,119 (the ’119 Patent), 8,453,270 (the ’270 Patent), and D657,093 (the D’093 patent), protecting its “Omni-Heat” technology, a heat reflective material that can reflect body heat but allow for breathability and moisture wicking. Compl. ¶ 2. The Omni-Heat material is used as a lining in a variety of outdoor gear such as jackets, shirts, gloves, and more. Defendant Seirus Innovative Accessories, Inc. (“Seirus”) sells its own brand of cold weather gear, including gloves and glove liners with a breathable, heat reflective material it calls HeatWave. Aldrich Decl. Exs. O, T, U, ECF 76-3. Columbia alleges that Seirus’s HeatWave product infringes its Omni-Heat patents, including design patent D’093. Columbia’s patented design and Seirus’s HeatWave design are depicted below:

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The Court recently issued a claim construction Opinion & Order in which it declined to give a textual construction to Columbia’s patented design, choosing to address the parties’ legal arguments about the scope of Columbia’s D’093 patent in this Opinion & Order. Currently before the Court is Columbia’s motion for partial summary of infringement of the design patent D’093. The striking visual similarity between Seirus’s design and Columbia’s patented design is likely to confuse an ordinary observer, and therefore, Columbia’s motion is granted.

STANDARDS

Summary judgment is appropriate if there is no genuine dispute as to any mate[1190]*1190rial fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). The moving party bears the initial responsibility of informing the court of the basis of its motion, and identifying those portions of “‘the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any,’ which it believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact.” Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986) (quoting Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c)).

Once the moving party meets its initial burden of demonstrating the absence of a genuine issue of material fact, the burden then shifts to the nonmoving party to present “specific facts” showing a “genuine issue for trial” Fed. Trade Comm’n v. Stefanchik, 559 F.3d 924, 927-28 (9th Cir.2009) (internal quotation marks omitted). The nonmoving party must go beyond the pleadings and designate facts shoving an issue for trial. Bias v. Moynihan, 508 F.3d 1212, 1218 (9th Cir.2007) (citing Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548).

The substantive law governing a claim determines whether a fact is material. Suever v. Connell, 579 F.3d 1047, 1056 (9th Cir.2009). The court draws inferences from the facts in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Earl v. Nielsen Media Research, Inc., 658 F.3d 1108, 1112 (9th Cir.2011).

DISCUSSION

I. Design Patent Infringement Standard

“A design patent protects the nonfunctional aspects of an ornamental design as shown in the patent.” Arminak & Associates, Inc., v. Saint-Gobain Calmar, Inc., 501 F.3d 1314, 1319 (Fed.Cir.2007) abrogated on other grounds by Egyptian Goddess, Inc. v. Swisa, Inc., 543 F.3d 665 (Fed.Cir.2008) (quotation omitted); see also 35 U.S.C. § 171 (“Whoever invents any new, original and ornamental design for an article of manufacture may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.”). “[A] design patent is infringed by the ‘unauthorized manufacture, use, or sale of the article embodying the patented design or any colorable imitation thereof.’ ” Arminak, 501 F.3d at 1319 (quoting Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. v. Hercules Tire & Rubber Co,, 162 F.3d 1113, 1116-17 (Fed.Cir.1998)).

Infringement of a design patent is evaluated in a two-step process similar to that of a utility patent. “First, the court must construe the claims of the design patent to determine their meaning and scope.” Id. (citing OddzOn Prods., Inc. v. Just Toys, Inc., 122 F.3d 1396, 1404-05 (Fed.Cir.1997)). Design patents typically are claimed as shown in drawings, though district courts have the discretion to construe design patents with a detailed textual description. Goodyear, 162 F.3d at 1116. The court then compares the construed claims to the accused design. Id. at 1320. The accused product infringes the design patent if “the designs have the same general visual appearance, such that it is likely that the purchaser (or the ordinary observer) would be deceived into confusing” the two designs. Id.; see also Crocs. Inc. v. Int’l Trade Comm’n, 598 F.3d 1294, 1303 (Fed.Cir.2010) (design patent is infringed if “an ordinary observer, familiar with the prior art designs, would be deceived into believing that the accused product is the same as the patented design.”); Gorham Manufacturing Co. v. White, 81 U.S. (14 Wall.) 511, 528, 20 L.Ed. 731 (1871) (“[I]f, in the eye of an ordinary observer, giving such attention as a purchaser usually gives, two designs are substantially the same, if the resemblance is such as to deceive such an observer, inducing him to purchase one supposing it to be the other, [1191]*1191the first one patented is infringed by the other”).

“[I]n conducting a design patent infringement analysis, the patented design is viewed in its entirety, as it is claimed. The ultimate question requires determining whether ‘the effect of the whole design is substantially the same.’ ” Payless Shoesource, Inc. v. Reebok Int’l Ltd., 998 F.2d 985, 990-91 (Fed.Cir.1993) (citing LA. Gear, Inc, v. Thom McAn Shoe Co., 988 F.2d 1117, 1125 (Fed.Cir.1993) (quotation and alterations omitted)). “[Mjinor differences between a patented design and an accused article’s design cannot, and shall not, prevent a finding of infringement.” Id. (citing Litton Sys., Inc, v. Whirlpool Corp., 728 F.2d 1423

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202 F. Supp. 3d 1186, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 105332, 2016 WL 4254294, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/columbia-sportswear-north-america-inc-v-seirus-innovative-accessories-ord-2016.