Wisconsin Electronic Controls Innovator Raffel Systems Calls on Man Wah to Cease "Unfair Competition" and Further Infringements in the Wake of $100 Million-Plus Verdict Against Man Wah for Theft of Patented Motion Furniture Cup Holders

Raffel also concerned about safety issues as a result of defects reported from use of Man Wah "knock-offs"

GERMANTOWN, Wis., July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following its historic $100 million-plus verdict in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Raffel Systems, LLC, a global producer of controls and comfort systems for motion furniture and a variety of other end markets, today called on Man Wah to cease the theft of the company's patented motion furniture cup-holders and any further infringements.

On June 17, 2022, a federal jury in Milwaukee found Man Wah liable for willful trade dress infringement, misappropriation of trade dress, false patent marking and willful patent infringement related to Raffel's integrated illuminated cup holder for motion furniture. Specifically, the jury awarded Raffel $97.5 million in punitive damages and $8.7 million in actual damages, totaling $106.2 million. The verdict is one of the largest ever in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Two outside attorneys for Raffel pointed out additional issues.

"We are concerned that defects reported by consumers of the cup holders that were found by the jury to infringe on Raffel's patents could represent safety risks," said Raffel's lead trial counsel John Scheller of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP. 

Meanwhile, Washington, D.C.-based attorney Lanny Davis of the law firm Davis Goldberg & Galper PLLC said, "Man Wah's conduct leading to the jury verdict could constitute unfair competition."

Recent coverage of the jury verdict can be found here and here.

"This case is about right and wrong," Raffel Executive Chairman Paul Stangl said. "As a small company guided by innovation, our intellectual property could not be more important. We will continue our fight to show Man Wah and all the world's biggest companies that intellectual property must be respected."

"There is evidence Man Wah is continuing its practice of turning a blind-eye to intellectual property, such as continuing to sell integrated cup holders that infringe Raffel patents while passing off the product as its own invention," Stangl continued.

About Raffel Systems
Since 1982, Raffel Systems has been the industry innovator in developing electronic controls and comfort solutions for multiple end markets. Headquartered in Germantown, Wisconsin, Raffel is a global manufacturer providing design, engineering, technical sales, and customer service throughout North America, Asia and Europe. Through its Chinese subsidiary, Raffel also has manufacturing, engineering and sales in mainland China.

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SOURCE Raffel Systems