Hunter Douglas Window Designs, Inc., of Bessemer City, North Carolina, and Springs Window Fashions, LLC of Middleton, Wisconsin, announced recently that they have settled a patent and trademark infringement suit involving combination window shades.
Hunter Douglas had filed suit in October 2011 in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, asserting infringement by Springs of a design patent, U.S. Patent No. D605,885 covering a combination shade consisting of a pleated shade over a cellular shade. Hunter Douglas subsequently added a claim that Springs was infringing trademark rights in the mark ECLIPSE owned by affiliates Hunter Douglas Window Fashions, Inc. and Turnils (UK) Ltd. Springs had asserted defenses and counterclaims alleging that Hunter Douglas' patent and trademark rights were not infringed and were invalid.