On November 17, 2003, a federal jury in Worcester, Massachusetts returned a verdict of willful patent infringement and damages of over a million dollars in a suit brought by Brine, Inc. of Milford, Massachusetts against STX of Baltimore, Maryland. Mirick O'Connell, a Massachusetts law firm, prosecuted the case.
Brine had patented the Edge Offset(TM) Head lacrosse stick, a technological breakthrough in lacrosse. Brine charged and the jury found that Brine's patent had been infringed by STX's Octane, Proton, and X2 lacrosse products.
In 1995, Brine introduced the line of Edge Offset(TM) Head lacrosse sticks with lowered sidewalls, which was an immediate commercial success. Two years later STX came on the market with its first offset head. In 1999, Brine filed the patent infringement suit against STX in Federal Court. After four years of preparation and a two-week trial, the jury found that STX had willfully infringed Brine's patent for lacrosse heads with lowered sidewalls. The jury awarded damages of over a million dollars for lost profits.
“The Edge Offset(TM) Head has had a tremendous impact on the game of lacrosse. This was an extremely important case for Brine and STX. The witnesses at trial included the presidents and product managers of both companies,” states John Mirick, a partner at Mirick O'Connell and the chief trial attorney on this case. “It was also a very significant case because the jury found STX had willfully infringed the patent. A willful infringement verdict is unusual in patent cases.”
“We are pleased by the outcome of this trial,” commented Sean Fox, the President of Brine. “The Edge Offset(TM) Head is a specialized feature that truly revolutionized the game of lacrosse. This breakthrough technology was developed and patented by Brine and should not be copied without our permission. We are pleased that the jury found in favor of Brine.”
