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Jacuzzi Brands Sued for Theft of Trade Secrets by Former Supplier
Corona, CA April 23, 2004 -- Spa Builders Support Group, Inc., a privately held manufacturer of instrumentation controls and parts to the spa, hot tub and pool marketplace, this week sued Jacuzzi Brands, Inc., (NYSE: "JJZ"; Revnues: 1.23 Bil.) and Sundance Spas, Inc., a Jacuzzi subsidiary which manufactures and distributes spas and hot tubs, for trademark infringement, theft of trade secrets, unfair competition, and conspiracy in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The suit alleges that Spa Builders formerly was a supplier of proprietary electronic controls to Sundance and that Jacuzzi and Sundance stopped doing business with Spa Builders and copied Spa Builders controls including Spa Builders trademarks. Further it alleges, Sundance and Jacuzzi began using and selling the copied products as their own.
Spa Builders alleges that the defendants "engaged in a systematic effort to pirate" Spa Builders trade secrets and confidential information and includes an allegation that a Sundance director of manufacturing "ordered" company engineers to "copy" the Spa Builders products.
According to Virgina Lawyer magazine, the "rocket docket" of the Eastern District of Virginia is a magnet for intellectual property litigation because cases filed there reach judgment within 6 to 8 months of filing. The lawsuit claims at least $10 million in actual damages and seeks punitive damages for the intentional piracy of Spa Builders products. Spa Builders is represented by Attorneys William Levin and Edward O' Connor of the firm of Levin & O'Connor in Laguna Beach, California.
Contact Information:
Inquiries to Spa Builders:
Frank Edward Harrigan III, Esq.
General Counsel.
(909) 445-0441 tel.
Levin & Hawes
(949) 497-7676
Contact: Edward O'Connor
To obtain copy of complaint:
Fax request to (909) 494 - 5464
Inquiries to Jacuzzi:
Jacuzzi Brands, Inc.
777 S. Flagler Drive, Suite 1108 West
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: (561) 514-3838
David Clarke, CEO
Donald C. Devine, President
This article courtesy of http://alltopspas.com.
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