Greenwich Insurance Company v. RPS Products, Inc.

CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedFebruary 2, 2008
Docket1-07-0760 Rel
StatusPublished

This text of Greenwich Insurance Company v. RPS Products, Inc. (Greenwich Insurance Company v. RPS Products, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Greenwich Insurance Company v. RPS Products, Inc., (Ill. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

FIRST DIVISION FEBRUARY 04, 2008

No. 1-07-0760

GREENWICH INSURANCE COMPANY, ) Appeal from the ) Circuit Court of Plaintiff-Appellee, ) Cook County. ) v. ) ) RPS PRODUCTS, INC., ) No. 05 CH 09418 ) Defendant-Appellant ) ) (The Holmes Group, Inc., ) Honorable ) Sophia H. Hall, Defendant). ) Judge Presiding.

JUSTICE ROBERT E. GORDON delivered the opinion of the court:

The issue presented in this case is whether plaintiff Greenwich Insurance

Company (Greenwich) had a duty to defend its insured, defendant RPS Products, Inc.

(RPS), in an underlying suit filed by The Holmes Group, Inc. (Holmes), alleging, among

other things, patent infringement, trademark infringement, and unfair competition. On

August 4, 2004, RPS tendered its defense of the Holmes suit to Greenwich, which

refused the tender of the defense and denied coverage on August 17, 2004. On June 2,

2005, Greenwich filed a complaint for declaratory judgment in the chancery division of

the circuit court of Cook County seeking, among other things, a declaration that it had no No. 1-07-0760

duty to defend RPS in the Holmes suit. On October 31, 2006, the trial court granted

Greenwich’s motion for summary judgment finding that the Holmes suit was not covered

under the Greenwich insurance policy, and therefore had no duty to defend.

1. The Underlying Lawsuit

RPS is an Illinois corporation that manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells

replacement filters for use in air cleaners and humidifiers. One of RPS’s replacement

filters, the RPS model H600 filter, was marketed as a filter that “fit Holmesâ”

“Harmonyâ Air Purifier Models: HAP 615, 626, 650, 675, 675RC.”

On November 27, 2002, Holmes notified RPS that it was making a claim against

it based on RPS’ alleged infringement of Holmes’ patent for its “HAPG 600 Harmony

Air Filter.” On July 3, 2003, Holmes filed its original complaint against RPS in the

United States District Court for the Worchester District of Massachusetts.

On July 28, 2003, RPS provided Greenwich with Holmes’ original complaint. On

the same date, Greenwich informed RPS that there was no coverage under the Greenwich

insurance policy for patent infringement, and Greenwich issued a formal denial of

coverage shortly thereafter. RPS did not dispute Greenwich’s denial of coverage at that

point in time.

On February 19, 2004, Holmes provided RPS with its proposed amended

complaint. On March 3, 2004, Holmes filed its amended complaint. The amended

complaint includes the following relevant allegations as to all three counts contained in

the complaint:

2 No. 1-07-0760

“8. RPS manufacturers, markets, distributes and/or sells

replacement filters for use in air cleaners and humidifiers. One of those

replacement filters is designated as the RPS model H600 filter (the ‘H600

Replacement Filter’).

9. The H600 Replacement Filter is marketed and advertised by

RPS as a replacement filter for certain Holmes air cleaner models. The

label on the H600 Replacement Filter box prominently displays the claim

that it ‘Fits Holmesâ,’ and lists the following Holmesâ Harmonyâ Air

Purifier Models: HAP 615, 625, 650, 675, 675RC. This designation is

literally false because the RPS Replacement Filters do not meet Holmes

performance standards, a high proportion of the RPS Replacement Filters

are defectively manufactured and, when the RPS Replacement Filters are

placed in one of the Holmes machines that they purportedly ‘fit’, the RPS

filter will not allow the door to close.

***

13. When the RPS H600 Replacement Filters are substituted for

the genuine Holmesâ filters in those Holmesâ Harmonyâ Air Purifier

models which RPS claims that the RPS H600 Replacement Filter ‘Fits,’

each of the Holmesâ models substantially and materially underperforms

*** .

3 No. 1-07-0760

14. As a result, consumers who purchase a RPS H600

Replacement Filer believing that it ‘Fits Holmes’ are misled into thinking

that the H600 Replacement Filter is a suitable replacement for the proper

Holmesâ filter when it is not *** .

19. RPS misrepresents the RPS H600 Replacement Filter on its

Web site as a ‘Holmes air filter for HEPA models HAP615, 625, 650, 675,

675 RC, (HAP-600).’ ”

Count I further alleges that RPS infringed Holmes’ patent by “making, using,

offering to sell, selling, and/or importing and/or inducing and/or contributing to others’

making, using, offering to sell, selling and/or importing products that embody or use the

inventions claimed in the patent.” Count II of the amended complaint, entitled “Unfair

Competition,” alleges RPS advertises and sells its H600 replacement filter as “Fits

Holmesâ HEPA Air Cleaners Models: HAP 615, 625, 650, 675, 675RC,” the

replacement filters “are not acceptable *** for use with Holmes air cleaners,” and RPS

replacement filter packaging and nationwide advertising contain false and misleading

statements and descriptions concerning replacement air filter applications, contain

misrepresentations of fact, and constitute unfair competition in violation of section 1125

of the United States Trademarks Act (15 U.S.C. §1125 (a) (2000)), and the laws of

Massachusetts. Count III of the amended complaint, entitled “Trademark Infringement”

alleges RPS’ use of the mark “Holmesâ” in commerce and in connection with the

4 No. 1-07-0760

marketing and advertisement of RPS’ own replacement filters constitutes trademark

infringement.

2. The Greenwich Policy

RPS solicited A.F. Crissie & Company, Ltd., an insurance brokerage firm, to

procure, on its behalf, commercial liability insurance coverage. Ray Szydlo of A.F.

Crissie, caused RPS to be placed with Greenwich for purposes of obtaining a commercial

liability insurance policy. Greenwich issued to RPS three consecutive one-year

commercial general liability policies covering the December 31, 2001, through

December 31, 2004, time period. The policy at issue in this case, policy No.

GEC001084802, covered the December 31, 2003, through December 31, 2004, time

period. The policy provided in pertinent part:

“SECTION I – COVERAGES

COVERAGE A BODILY INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE

LIABILITY

1. Insuring Agreement

a. We will pay those sums that the insured becomes

legally obligated to pay as damages because of ‘bodily injury’

or ‘property damage’ to which this insurance applies. We will

have the right and duty to defend the insured against any ‘suit’

seeking those damages *** .

5 No. 1-07-0760

COVERAGE B PERSONAL AND ADVERTISING LIABILITY

legally obligated to pay as damages because of ‘personal and

advertising injury’ to which this insurance applies.

c. This insurance applies to ‘personal and advertising

injury’ caused by an offense arising out of your business *** .

2. Exclusions

This insurance does not apply to:

a. Knowing Violation of Rights Of Another

‘Personal and advertising injury’ caused by or at the

direction of the insured with the knowledge that the act would

violate the rights of another and would inflict ‘personal and

advertising injury’.

b.

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