Pittsburgh, PA-based intellectual property law firm Ference & Associates announced today that a preliminary injunction was entered by the Honorable William S. Stickman IV of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania in a lawsuit filed against e-commerce sites AliExpress, eBay, and Wish. These online retailers sell counterfeit items that resemble the plaintiff’s patented Orange ScrewⓇ Ultimate Ground Anchor.
Made by Gorge Design Group LLC, the Orange ScrewⓇ ground anchor is an innovative, screw-in, plastic anchor made entirely from recycled plastic and is manufactured in the United States. Orange ScrewⓇ ground anchors are portable, easy-to-use, and perform in a wider range of soil conditions than other portable ground anchors. This multi-use tool serves many purposes: It can replace tent stakes and metal dog tie-outs, anchor RV awnings and sun shelters, and hold tarps over boats, ATVs and firewood.
Gorge Design Group LLC is a small, family-owned company dedicated to building an international brand that is synonymous with high quality and long-lasting products. Counterfeit products made of lesser quality than their authentic Orange ScrewⓇ ground anchors create confusion in the marketplace. “I’ve received calls from angry customers telling me that their Orange ScrewⓇ product broke causing their tent to blow away or their pet to run loose,” said Kirby Erdely, CEO and founder of Gorge Design Group LLC. “It became evident that the product they purchased is a knock-off of our original, patented design. These fake items, easily purchased from e-commerce sites, are watering down the market and damaging the Orange ScrewⓇ brand.”
“This preliminary injunction opens the door to rightfully securing all funds for the Orange ScrewⓇ family of products,” said Stanley Ference, managing partner of Ference & Associates and lead attorney on the matter. “We’ll continue to litigate the claims for our client to ensure that their product is not confused for lesser quality items being sold on various e-commerce sites.”
Stanley Ference was assisted in this matter by Brian Samuel Malkin and the team of attorneys and professionals at Ference & Associates.
About Ference & Associates
Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ference & Associates provides a full range of intellectual property legal services to global and national clients in technology-intensive industries including software, electronics, biotech, and entertainment. The firm is a national leader in online brand protection and anti-counterfeiting litigation. (FerenceLaw.com)
About Gorge Design Group LLC
Gorge Design Group LLC, makers of the Orange ScrewⓇ ground anchor, is a family-owned business based in Bingen, Washington in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge. The owners are a family of active outdoor enthusiasts with backgrounds in business and design. They believe that manufacturing useful, long-lasting products in the United States is vital to the economic and social health of their local community and nation. Their products are proudly made in Vancouver, Washington from recycled materials. (www.orangescrew.com)
Contact
For additional information, please contact Marci Taylor at marci@mantrapartner.com, (610) 453-4477.