MA-based Acushnet Co. has filed a lawsuit in Federal
District Court in Boston charging adidas-Salomon subsidiary
Taylor Made with false advertising, trade dress
infringement, false patent marking and trade secret
misappropriation. Acushnet is stating that Taylor Made has
"grossly exaggerated" claims in its ads for its InerGel golf
ball line and that it has infringed upon Acushnet's golf
ball packaging by adopting product names and color schemes
that are "nearly identical" to Acushnet's. The suit seeks
money damages and injunctive action (Acushnet). Taylor Made
exec Robert Erb called Acushnet's actions against his
company a "nuisance lawsuit." Erb: "We must be doing
something right. You don't needle people you're not
concerned with." But in San Diego, Mike Freeman noted
Callaway's pending legal action against Taylor Made over
former Callaway exec Mark King and wrote that Taylor Made
now "must fend off legal battles on two fronts from its
largest two competitors." Web Street Golf Report Publisher
Terry McAndrew: "There is no question Taylor Made-Adidas
Golf has legal distractions at a time when the golf ball
business is challenging enough" (S.D. UNION-TRIBUNE, 11/9).
