New Golf Patent Infringement Lawsuit Drops During the PGA Show
The timing of this lawsuit may raise some eyebrows. On Tuesday, True Spec Golf LLC and Club-Conex LLC filed a lawsuit alleging that Club Champion LLC is infringing a connection system patent. Specifically, the patent is USPN 8,046,899 titled “universal shaft and head connector,” which describes the invention as:
A connector for releasably securing a shaft and a head having a hosel with a bore of standard size. The connector includes a shaft adapter, a hosel adapter, and a compression nut. The shaft adapter has a shaft bore sized to receive the shaft, a first threaded coupling member, and a axial shaft. The hosel adapter has a hosel bore and a main body portion. The hosel bore is sized to receive the axial shaft. The compression nut has a second coupling member. The shaft is secured within the shaft bore and the main body portion is secured within the bore of the hosel using an adhesive and the axial shaft is inserted within the hosel bore. Thereafter, the compression nut is rotated to couple the first and second coupling members together thereby securing the shaft and head together without the shaft being received within the bore of the hosel.
The Complaint explains/alleges:
BACKGROUND
2 This is an action for patent infringement arising under the patent laws of the United States, 35 U.S.C. § 100 et seq., including, but not limited to, 35 U.S.C. § 271.
3 The patented technology involves a method of using versatile golf club connection adaptors to quickly and easily, but reversibly, assemble a golf club shaft with a golf club head in a secure fashion. The claimed method provides golf equipment resellers with an efficient and cost-effective way to fit customers for a customized set of golf clubs, by allowing customers to easily try various combinations of golf club shafts and golf club heads in order to find a golf club head and shaft combination that works best. Once a suitable golf club head and shaft combination has been selected, a customized club set can be assembled and sold to the customer.
4 The technology at issue was invented by Mr. Eric Burch, who was also the founder of the predecessor to Club-Conex.
5 On information and belief, Defendant Club Champion began purchasing and using Club-Conex’s “Faz-Fit” system of golf club connection adaptors to perform golf club fitting services at least as early as 2012.
6 By 2017 Club Champion was purchasing tens-of-thousands of units of ClubConex’s “Faz-Fit” golf club connection adaptors to perform golf club fitting services.
7 On information and belief, the packaging of the Faz-Fit products have been prominently marked with United States Patent No. 8,046,899 (the “’899 Patent”) at least since 2012.
8 On information and belief, Club Champion recently began using unlicensed golf club connection adaptors in an infringing manner to perform golf club fitting services, the use of which constitutes infringement of one or more claims of True Spec’s ’899 Patent.
9 As a result of its infringing acts, on information and belief, Club Champion has derived and will derive substantial revenue from club fitting fees charged for the infringing club fitting process, and from the sale of golf clubs based upon the infringing club fitting process. Club Champion directly competes with True Spec’s club fitting business and True Spec’s business has been and will be irreparably harmed as a result of Club Champion’s infringement of the ’899 Patent.
Click HERE to read the full patent infringement Complaint.
This is the only time I can recall a golf patent infringement lawsuit dropping during the PGA Show. I suppose it could be totally coincidence, but I doubt it. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
Dave Dawsey – A Golf Product Attorney
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