The Kama Sutra Company has sued Doc Johnson for allegedly infringing on its trademark cartouche design.
In a statement released Wednesday, Kama Sutra claims that Doc Johnson “willfully and knowingly attempted to confuse consumers by using Kama Sutra’s famous cartouche trademark on Doc Johnson ‘knock off’ products.”
The suit seeks damages and a court order requiring the removal of all infringing products from store shelves, catalogs and websites.
Doc Johnson president Ron Braverman told AVN.com that he had previously spoken with Kama Sutra about this issue and tried to resolve it without litigation.
“They claimed I infringed on their trademark with some artwork. Even though I didn’t feel the product in question infringed, I agreed to change the artwork,” Braverman said. “I told them I was sorry. I was just happy to change the styling of the artwork. But they still continued to go forward with this.”
Doc Johnson is a leading manufacturer of adult toys and novelties, while the Kama Sutra company is a leading manufacturer of romance and intimacy products.
"Hopefully, this will show our competitors we are serious about protecting our trademarks and brand image,” Kama Sutra’s Chief Operating Officer Kandie Holloway said in the statement.
