Polaris sues Bombardier, alleges patent pilferage
by CanadianManufacturing.com Staff
The companies compete head-to-head in a variety of markets
MINNEAPOLIS—Power sports vehicle maker Polaris Industries Inc. has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP) in U.S. District Court.
Polaris alleges that BRP violated patents owned by Polaris, and knowingly continued to violate these patents after receiving written notice.
The company hasn’t disclosed specific details, but the patents in question relate to the suspension systems of trail performance and crossover snowmobiles, core product categories for both companies.
“For more than 55 years, a key foundation of our culture and success at Polaris has been innovation,” said Marlys Knutson, spokesperson for Polaris. “We have a respectful relationship with BRP, but we always have and always will vigorously defend our intellectual property.”
Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles, side-by-side vehicles, snowmobiles and on-road electric/hybrid powered vehicles, as well as motorcycles under the Victory and Indian motorcycle brands. The company posted 2011 sales of $2.7 billion.
