Forest River Wins Jury Award in Logo Infringement Lawsuit – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
ELKHART, Ind. – Forest River, Inc., the largest manufacturer of recreational vehicles, cargo trailers, pontoon boats, buses, vans, and commercial vehicles in North America, has announced a unanimous verdict in favor of its East To West brand against inTech Trailers Inc. in a trademark infringement suit.
The jury’s verdict of willful infringement and its award of millions in damages validates Forest River’s decision to protect its trademark rights and to stand up against trademark infringers, according to the Forest River release.
Forest River’s East To West division has been selling DELLA TERRA travel trailers since 2018, the release continued. The award-winning DELLA TERRA, which features a trademarked signature mountain design, quickly established itself in the marketplace with market share growth.
In late 2020, inTech Trailers Inc. began offering for sale a new travel trailer that it branded as the “Terra” travel trailer. The Terra travel trailer bore a similar mountain design to the DELLA TERRA design, and Forest River immediately demanded that InTech cease and desist from the sale of Terra travel trailers, noting that they were in violation of Forest River’s trademarks, under both federal and state trademark law. InTech refused to cease its infringing activities, instead claiming that it owned the “Terra” name, according to the Forest River release.
In September 2023, the court determined that Forest River owned a protectable interest in its DELLA TERRA and mountain design trademarks, rejecting inTech’s claim of priority over “Terra.” On March 4, 2024, an eight-person jury unanimously found that inTech willfully infringed Forest River’s DELLA TERRA and mountain design trademarks and awarded millions in damages. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before coming to its verdict.
In a previous and separate release, inTech announced it would be changing the name of its Terra line to “Aucta.”
For more information on East To West, visit https://www.easttowestrv.com/.
About Forest River Inc.
Founded in 1996 by Pete Liegl to help more people experience the joy of the outdoors, Forest River, Inc. has evolved into the largest manufacturer of recreational vehicles, cargo trailers, pontoon boats, buses, vans, and commercial vehicles in North America. Its recreational portfolio includes market share leaders in towable and motorized RVs, cargo trailers, and pontoon boats. It is the country’s leading supplier of commercial vehicles, and the country’s leading manufacturer of buses and vans for both the private and public sectors. Headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana, Forest River employs 14,000+ employees in 100+ facilities in more than a half dozen states. With a commitment to excellence and a focus on customer satisfaction, Forest River is proud to be a Berkshire Hathaway company.
