This has been a long process, but Unsealed 4×4 has just been handed an official press release stating Clearview Accessories has been successful in defending their patent on the Clearview Easy Slide fridge slide, against MSA 4×4 accessories.
What’s the story?
In February 2021, MSA 4×4 announced legal action against Clearview Accessories, commencing proceedings in which MSA alleged patent infringement of their Drop Slide. The Federal Court of Australia this week announced that it has ruled in Clearview Accessories favour in MSA 4X4’s patent-infringement lawsuit MSA 4×4 Accessories Pty Ltd v Clearview Towing Mirrors Pty Ltd FCA 24. The court ruled that Clearview Accessories has not infringed on Shane Miles’ drop slide patent by manufacturing and selling the Easy Slide.
What Clearview has to say
Commenting on the announcement, Co-Founder, Mike Cowan said “We are extremely pleased with the Federal Court’s decision as it demonstrates that Clearview Accessories was right to fight the lawsuit. It is a shame that MSA 4X4 and Shane Miles decided to take this action; the last two years has cost us over $1M in legal fees alone to defend our patented product. The time and money we’ve spent defending our position could have been better spent elsewhere, supporting our customers and dealers.”
Mike adds, “This case has demonstrated that Clearview Accessories won’t bow to aggressive tactics from competitors and hopefully this result has brought this background noise to a close once and for all, allowing our two companies to co-exist in the market.”
In 2013, Black Widow Enterprises Pty Ltd was awarded a patent for a drop-down fridge slide. This patent was purchased by Clearview Accessories in 2014, and the Clearview Easy Slide was born. Seven years later, MSA 4×4 decided to take legal action on what it felt was a breach of its patented product.
Co-Founder, Jay Praag shares “Competition in the market provides choice for customers and to have a company try to restrict our capacity to produce and sell a legally competing product is bad form. Intellectual property rights are an essential tool, and we would understand and support MSA 4X4 defending their patent had we copied the Drop Slide. They took seven years to decide to pressure-test our patented product after we’d spent millions of dollars advertising and building a following for the Easy Slide.”
Visit www.clearviewaccessories.com.au for more information.
