NATCO Pays Weave Damages
March 1, 2005
HACKENSACK, New Jersey — Weave Corporation, a jacquard fabric mill, said that NATCO Products, of Providence, RI, has paid an undisclosed sum to settle Weave's claim of infringement of its pattern U12003.
NATCO admitted that its imported Chinese decorative pillow included an illegal copy of Weave pattern U12003.
"NATCO stated that it was unaware that the fabric was a copy and that it selected the pillow from a vendor's offerings as it was presented to them," a Weave announcement said.
"The point here is that anyone purchasing product has the obligation to do at least some minimal due diligence to ensure that no intellectual property theft has occurred," said Roger Berkley, president of Weave. "This is particularly true in light of the large numbers of intellectual property thefts by unscrupulous Chinese vendors that have happened or been alleged by U.S. companies."
"Since Chinese copyright laws are effectively a joke," Berkley concluded, "we have opted to hold their customers liable thereby increasing the cost of doing business with dishonest suppliers."
NATCO admitted that its imported Chinese decorative pillow included an illegal copy of Weave pattern U12003.
"NATCO stated that it was unaware that the fabric was a copy and that it selected the pillow from a vendor's offerings as it was presented to them," a Weave announcement said.
"The point here is that anyone purchasing product has the obligation to do at least some minimal due diligence to ensure that no intellectual property theft has occurred," said Roger Berkley, president of Weave. "This is particularly true in light of the large numbers of intellectual property thefts by unscrupulous Chinese vendors that have happened or been alleged by U.S. companies."
"Since Chinese copyright laws are effectively a joke," Berkley concluded, "we have opted to hold their customers liable thereby increasing the cost of doing business with dishonest suppliers."
