Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP), manufacturer of Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, today filed lawsuits in Canada and the United States claiming that Arctic Cat has infringed various Canadian and American patents for the revolutionary REV platform used in BRP’s lines of snowmobiles.
BRP claims in documents filed in the Federal Court of Canada and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois that Arctic Cat knowingly used certain innovations protected by BRP’s patents, without permission.
BRP is requesting that Arctic Cat halt production of the infringing models, that it destroy those in stock, and is seeking monetary compensation for the infringement.
“In recent years we have seen our competitors attempt to copy an increasing number of our inventions and designs,” said Martin Langelier, vice-president, General Counsel and Secretary. “Innovation being at the core of BRP’s strategy, we will not tolerate infringement of our intellectual property rights. We are, as a result, taking legal action to protect them.”
In 2002, BRP revolutionized the snowmobile industry with the introduction of a new platform, the REV chassis. This new chassis allowed the company’s Ski-Doo brand to regain the number one position in the industry, a lead it has since maintained.
Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP), a privately held company, is a world leader in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of motorised recreational vehicles. Its portfolio of brands and products includes: Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea- Doo watercraft and boats, Evinrude and Johnson outboard engines, Can-Am all-terrain and side-by-side vehicles and roadsters, as well as Rotax engines. BRP products are distributed in more than 100 countries.
