This article originally appeared on dbusiness.com March, 24, 2016
Stahls’ Reaches Settlement Over Patents on Heat Press Equipment
Sterling Heights-based Stahls’, a manufacturer of garment decoration equipment including jerseys for professional, college, and high school sports leagues, among other organizations, has successfully defended its intellectual property rights by reaching a settlement in a federal lawsuit related to its heat press equipment.
“Stahls’ has dozens of issued patents and pending applications, as well as many federally registered trademarks,” says Ted Stahl, executive chairman of Stahls’. “We have made significant investments in research and development to design the most technologically advanced heat press on the market, and we will fight back against threats to our intellectual property.”
The company’s customer base includes small businesses, entrepreneurs, pro sports leagues, and leading commercial brands. Stahls’ is among the largest manufacturer or heat presses in the world, and the equipment provides for a wide array of personalization across a full lineup of apparel items.
As the plaintiff, Stahl was represented by Fishman Stewart, a law firm in Bloomfield Hills. Within 24 hours from the filing of the lawsuit, several defendants removed the infringing products from their websites as well as third party sites. In addition, the defendants immediately requested settlement of the complaint with Stahls’. During the same time period, the company worked with eBay, Amazon, and Facebook to take down infringing auctions, store offerings, and advertising content. Shortly thereafter, the defendants executed the comprehensive settlement agreement.
“Stahls’ has experienced significant growth as we’ve expanded our global footprint and strengthened our development, manufacturing, and distribution capabilities,” says Chris Lawson, CEO at Stahls’. “As we continue to innovate to meet ever-changing demands of today’s textile and garment decoration industry, we will move quickly whenever and wherever necessary to protect our customers against knockoff imitations.”
Stahls’, founded in Detroit, operates manufacturing and distribution centers throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
In November, the company relocated its global headquarters from St. Clair Shores to Sterling Heights. The new headquarters employs nearly 170 of the company’s 425 employees in Michigan.
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