Several sports manufacturers, including Nike, Under Armour, VF Corp and Columbia Sportswear, are among the dozens of brands being charged by Tec-Technology Enabled Clothing, Inc. with patent infringement. The complaint against these companies stems from their use of “wire management capabilities for portable electronic devices” in jackets.
The patent in question covers a garment comprising of: “a) a shell having an interior surface and an exterior surface and including at least one opening adapted to receive a portion of a wearer's body therein; b) a pocket exposed at least partially on the interior surface of the shell and including an aperture allowing items to be inserted into the pocket, the pocket further including a slit spaced from the aperture and adapted to enable a wire extending from an item positioned within the pocket to pass therethrough; and c) a wire holding member secured to the shell adjacent the at least one opening and adapted to hold the wire extending from the slit in the pocket.”
According to the complaint, “each and every defendant named herein makes, uses, sells and/or imports at least one jacket and/or model of jacket that is designed to provide the wearer with wire management capabilities for portable electronic devices that facilitates the management of wires running from the electronic device to the user.”
TEC is seeking that the defendants account for and pay to TEC all damages caused by the infringement of the patent, as well as seeking pre-judgment and post-judgment interest on the damages caused by the alleged infringement.
