Molten To Pay $8.1M To Baden In Patent Suit

Molten Loses Basketball Patent Infringement Lawsuit

U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman ordered Japan-based Molten Corp. and its U.S. affiliate to pay Washington-based Baden Sports almost $8.1M over a lawsuit that alleged "false advertisement and patent infringement," according to Dan Richman of the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER.  Baden claimed Molten had "infringed on a technique it patented in the mid-1990s for producing basketballs."  The Cushion Control Technology is "said to make the balls softer to play with, with a truer bounce and a longer life." Baden also filed a federal suit against the Int'l Basketball Federation and USA Basketball, claiming the two organizations "have used Molten-made products even though they knew the products infringe on Baden's patent." Molten's product was the official basketball of this summer's FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas, and the company is the official basketball sponsor of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and an official sponsor of USA Basketball (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 10/3).  As part of the court decision, Molten was ordered to stop selling or offering to sell its "dual cushion" basketballs in the U.S. (Baden).