An appeals court in Belgium denied a trademark infringement appeal from a Belgian dealer and an importer and upheld a decision that favored LaserPerformance.
The Court of Appeals in Antwerp denied the appeal on Jan. 19 from Belgian dealer OptiTeam BVBA and importer Natisch Centerum Delfzijl-Tecinvest BV and upheld the original Sept. 24 decision, according to Sailing Scuttlebutt.
A lawsuit against OptiTeam and Tecinvest alleged that they illegally imported and sold boats and parts manufactured by Performance Sailcraft Australia for distribution into LaserPerformance’s territories, including Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
After review by the Court of Appeals in Antwerp, the appeal from OptiTeam was dismissed and LaserPerformance has been declared the winner of the case on all points, Scuttlebutt reported. The judgment confirms that LaserPerformance is the only entity with the right to the Laser trademarks in Europe.
Based on the outcome of the trial, LaserPerformance is entitled to financial compensation, assets can be seized and OptiTeam BVBA and importer Natisch Centerum Delfzijl-Tecinvest BV are prohibited from future violations, Scuttlebutt said.
“We will continue to take any and all legal action against any entity who is illegally and systematically importing PSA and other manufactured boats and parts into our trademark territories that include Europe, North America, South America, Africa and most of Asia,” LaserPerformance said in a statement.
