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CHICAGO - Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., recently announced a victory in a patent infringement case on behalf of its clients, Zyliss Haushaltwaren AG and Zyliss USA Corporation (collectively referred to as Zyliss), and their popular household appliance, the Easy Spin™ Salad Spinner. In World Kitchen, LLC, Helen of Troy Ltd. and OXO International Ltd (OXO) v. Zyliss Haushaltwaren AG and Zyliss USA Corporation, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the decision of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, denying OXO’s motion for a preliminary injunction, thus allowing Zyliss to continue selling its stylish salad spinners.

In their case before the district court, the plaintiffs alleged that Zyliss’ Easy Spin™ Salad Spinner infringed U.S. Patent No. 6,018,883 on a salad spinner with a brake for stopping the rotation of the spinning basket. Shortly after the case was filed, OXO, one of the plaintiffs in the case, moved for a preliminary injunction, alleging that it was being irreparably harmed by the sale of Zyliss’ newly-designed salad spinner, which also had a brake for stopping the spinning basket. A decision by the court to grant OXO’s motion would have required Zyliss to stop selling its Easy Spin™ Salad Spinners at least for the duration of the lawsuit.

After an analysis of the patent and the briefs of both parties, the district court denied OXO’s motion, stating that OXO failed to show that it was likely to succeed in its patent infringement claim or on the merits of any other factors the court considers when deciding a preliminary injunction motion. On appeal, the Federal Circuit agreed with the district court’s interpretation of the patent claims and found that, based on this interpretation, OXO was not likely to succeed in its patent infringement claim against Zyliss. Accordingly, the Court affirmed the district court’s denial of OXO’s motion for a preliminary injunction.

After the Federal Circuit’s decision, the plaintiffs dismissed their case against Zyliss. Today, Zyliss continues to sell its expanding line of salad spinners with brakes.

Zyliss was represented by Brinks attorneys Jerold A. Jacover, William H. Frankel, Michael P. Chu and Stephanie J. Felicetty. Also on the team was paralegal Lisa Reyes.

Founded in 1917, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is based in Chicago with three other offices across the country serving the intellectual property needs of clients from around the world. The firm is one of the largest IP law firms in the country, with more than 150 attorneys, scientific advisors and patent agents specializing in intellectual property litigation and all aspects of patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, unfair competition, intellectual asset management and technology and licensing agreements. Brinks routinely handles assignments in fields as diverse as electrical, chemical, mechanical, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, nanotechnology, Internet and computer technology, as well as in trademarks or brand names for a wide variety of products and services.