dasso Group Issues Notice of Patent Infringement in U.S. Market
By Steve Shen
Posted on
Wednesday, October 25, 2017 8:51 PM
dasso Group, a global manufacturer and distributor of bamboo flooring, has issued a Notice of Patent Infringement of its patented Fused Bamboo product, which is sold in the United States under dasso’s XTR brand. According to the Notice of Patent Infringement, dasso Group has learned that several former employees and outside sales representatives, including a major bamboo flooring distributor headquartered in the Netherlands, are involved and directly linked to the intentional infringement of dasso Group’s U.S. Patent in violation of the U.S. Patent Act.
dasso Group’s Fused Bamboo is a patented process and manufacturing method, which has been granted patent protection in many countries around the world, including, but not limited to, the United States, the European Union (10 member states) and China. dasso Group’s U.S. Patent 8,709,578 was granted on April 29, 2014 and remains a valid and enforceable patent in the U.S. dasso Group’s patented Fused Bamboo products are sold and distributed exclusively in the U.S. under the brand name dasso.XTR and can be found on the company’s website at dassoXTR.com.
Beginning in 2013, as part of its global initiative to expand its sales channels and platforms, dasso Group granted Moso International BV the exclusive limited rights to distribute dasso Group’s patented Fused Bamboo exterior decking product, in certain countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Since 2013, Moso International BV has distributed dasso Group’s patented Fused Bamboo exterior decking under Moso’s Bamboo X-treme brand within and limited to the territories authorized by dasso Group.
According to dasso Group, in June 2017, Moso International BV’s Director of Operations, Rene Zaal, met with officers of dasso Group in China and requested an expansion into the U.S. market of its distribution rights of dasso Group’s patented Fused Bamboo products. After this request was denied, dasso Group has learned that Moso International BV privately entered into a manufacturing agreement with the same factory in China that has manufactured dasso Group’s patented Fused Bamboo products since 2013. dasso Group has also learned that several former employees of dasso Group, including Brett Kelly (who was the President of dasso.XTR), Steve Osterman and Mark Clifton, participated in and assisted Moso International BV’s plans to enter the U.S. market, in violation of its limited distributorship agreement with dasso Group and in violation of U.S. patent laws, and to sell dasso Group’s patented Fused Bamboo product under Moso International BV’s Bamboo X-Treme brand. Brett Kelly is now the President of MOSO North America, Inc.; Steve Osterman is now the Vice President of Sales at Moso North America, Inc; and Mark Clifton is now the Vice President and General Manager at Moso North America, Inc.
According to Avery Chua, dasso Group’s U.S. representative, “Moso International BV has never been granted the rights to distribute or sell dasso Group’s patented Fused Bamboo products in the United States. As part of our investigation, we have learned that Moso International BV, through its newly formed company, Moso North America, Inc., and with the assistance of dasso Group’s former employees, are now importing, selling and distributing dasso Group’s patented Fused Bamboo product in the U.S. under Moso’s Bamboo X-treme brand, which is the same brand and the same product that Moso International BV has been selling in limited territories since 2013. We are aware of the actions of our former employees and Moso International BV and we are preparing legal action against those employees and Moso North America, Inc. to enforce dasso Group’s U.S. patent and distribution rights and to hold those who have knowingly participated in these activities accountable.” dasso Group also announced that it will take all necessary actions to safeguard and protect the rights of its authorized distributors and dealers in the U.S. market.
dasso Group is represented by Scott R. Hoopes and the law firm of Mills & Hoopes, LLC in Atlanta, Georgia. Any information or documents concerning the unauthorized and infringing solicitation, sale and distribution of dasso Group’s patented Fused Bamboo products in the U.S. market by Moso International BV, Moso North America, Inc., Brett Kelly, Steve Osterman and Mark Clifton, including bamboo product being sold and distributed as Moso Bamboo X-treme or Bamboo X-treme, should be sent to info@dassoGroup.com or scott@millshoopeslaw.com.
For more information, please visit:
dassoXTR.com
dassogroup.com