Amer Sports and Rottefella have reached an agreement regarding the Cross-Country Shift and Shift Race binding systems following a ruling issued by the Oslo District Court on October 10 favoring Rottefella, which claims on its website to be “the world’s largest developer and producer of cross-country, telemark and backcountry bindings.”
This ruling prohibited Amer Sports from selling or marketing its Shift and Shift Race binding systems, essentially barring retailers from offering Atomic or Salomon skis equipped with these bindings.
“We have reached an agreement with Rottefella regarding the sale and promotion of the Cross-Country Shift and Shift Race binding systems produced by Salomon and Atomic,” Amer said in a media release.
The company said the agreement ensures that its retail partners can continue selling existing Atomic and Salomon binding systems stock and any items on order for the current season.
“Our sponsored athletes—including Norwegian athletes—will also be able to use our binding systems throughout the upcoming race season,” Amer noted.
Without the agreement between the two parties, thousands of skis with the banned binding systems would have had to be removed from retail shelves during the winter snow sports season.
Torstein Myklebostad, CEO of Rottefella, pictured in the lead photo, expressed concern for the athletes and retailers affected by this latest ruling. Myklebostad reportedly urged compliance with the sales ban and the removal of the infringing products from the market, placing full blame on Amer Sport and its Salomon and Atomic brands for any issue in the marketplace.
“We are happy with the result but have great sympathy for all those affected by this ruling, especially professional athletes in their season preparations and the sports retailers. This kind of uncertainty is the last thing they need, Rottefella said in a LinkedIn post.
“Rottefella regrets the inconveniences caused by the situation,” the company continued. “However, the responsibility lies entirely with Amer Sports, Salomon and Atomic. The Oslo District Court’s ruling is clear and states that Amer Sports is guilty of “a grossly negligent patent infringement” and acted in a “highly reprehensible” manner.
The Oslo District Court ruled that Amer Sports’ adjustable cross country ski bindings infringed on the intellectual property of Rottefella’s Move binding system. Move reportedly allows skiers to “effortlessly adjust their bindings for grip or glide without removing their skis, even while moving.”
Amer Sports reportedly launched a similar system three years later, used on Salomon and Atomic skis, prompting a patent lawsuit by Rottefella.
The Oslo court’s decision, later upheld by the Norwegian Court of Appeals, prevented Amer Sports from selling and marketing its adjustable bindings.
The Oslo Court awarded Rottefella 19.2 million Norwegian kroner in damages and legal expenses.
The October 10 ruling is not the first between the two companies. In 2023, the Borgarting Court of Appeal made a similar decision, also banning the sale of Amer Sports’ Shift-in binding system due to patent violations against Rottefella.
Amer Sports had one month to appeal the most recent ruling.
Image courtesy Rottefella
