Baden Sports, Inc. v. Wilson Sporting Goods Co.

Wilson Sporting Goods Co., one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sports equipment, has been sued by a competitor, Baden Sports Inc., for patent infringement, unfair trade practices, and misappropriation of trade secrets. At issue in this case is Baden’s inflation table, which is used to inflate and package inflatable balls. Baden claims that Wilson solicited confidential and proprietary information from a retired Baden employee regarding Baden’s inflation table and basketball products. According to Baden’s complaint, Wilson used the information to develop a “soft”-feel basketball that is manufactured with a cellular sponge layer. Baden claims that the product infringes its patent covering cushion-control technology.

On May 23, 2011, Wilson moved to dismiss the complaint for failure to state a claim. It argues that Baden failed to show a plausible trade secret since Baden’s method of ball inflation is common among manufacturers. Additionally, Wilson requests the court to bar Baden’s common law unfair competition claim, arguing that it is preempted by the Washington Uniform Trade Secrets Act. Wilson argues that the underlying facts of Baden’s unfair competition claim are the same as those giving rise to its trade secrets claim.

On July 26, 2011 the court granted Wilson’s second claim in the earlier motion to dismiss, combating the allegations that defendant contacted a former employee and offered him consulting fees, causing subsequent disclosure of information about the operation and design of Baden’s inflation table. Importantly, the court dismissed Baden’s claim of trade secret misappropriation in finding that Baden’s inflation table did not constitute a valid trade secret under Washington Uniform Trade Secret law. The court further contended that the allegedly novel inflation table was not described with enough accuracy or detail so as to highlight any trade secret components or features. Thus, in failing to plead any details about inflation table that make it a trade secret, Baden did not meet the pleading requirements for the claim of trade secret misappropriation, dismissing Baden’s third claim of unfair competition as well. Both claims were dismissed without prejudice, while the court gave leave for Wilson to eventually amend it’s complaint on September 7, 2011.

With Baden’s October 19th answer, the basketball inflation table litigation entered a discovery and deposition phase, with both parties trading opening briefs and filing declarations with the court. In late July, 2012 Baden Sports filed its motion for summary judgment on the pleadings and limited discovery, countered by Wilson’s own motion for summary judgment days later. Wilson replied in late August 2012 to Baden’s motion for summary judgment, and on September 6, 2012 a stipulation and order was entered for extension of ongoing mediation proceedings by the parties. This stipulation was granted and the mediation deadline was extended until October 4, 2012 to the parties to reach a potential mediated settlement.

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