JURY AWARDS RIDDELL $5M IN PATENT INFRINGEMENT LAWSUIT AGAINST SCHUTT SPORTS

Riddell, the industry leader in football head protection and innovation, announced today that it obtained a $5 million jury verdict in the Northern District of Illinois against Schutt, its chief competitor, for willful infringement of two Riddell football helmet patents. Schutt argued that one of Riddell's patents was not infringed, and that both of Riddell's patents were invalid. The jury, however, found both patents valid and willfully infringed by Schutt's Vengeance line of helmets.   

“Riddell is appreciative that the jury recognized Riddell’s head protection leadership and that our innovations were improperly infringed by Schutt,” said Riddell President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Arment. “Innovation at its very core means developing something new—not knowingly copying the competition and touting that imitation as ‘new’ and ‘innovative’. Riddell has demonstrated a track record of systematically and successfully defending its patent portfolio of helmet and protective equipment technologies and will continue to protect our intellectual property investments.”

Riddell invests significantly in its patent portfolio and prides itself on cutting edge innovation aimed at improving athlete protection in football. Riddell remains steadfast in its protection of these technologies and will not allow others to use them without the company’s permission. This marks the second time in the last ten years that a jury has found Schutt to infringe Riddell’s intellectual property.