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13 February 2018Patents

Canadian company claims infringement over Bakugan toys

Canada-based toy company Spin Master has accused a competitor of infringing patents relating to Bakugan toys.

Bakugan Battle Brawlers” is a Japanese-Canadian TV series which centres on the Bakugan creatures and the battle brawlers who possess them.

Spin Master claims that patents covering a magnetic transformation feature have been infringed by Alpha Group US and Alpha Animation and Toys through the sale of the Screechers Wild toy product.

The Bakugan toys “explode” from a spherical form into a character form when the character comes into contact with a magnetic component.

The Canada-based company has filed patent infringement claims in Canada, the UK and the US, and is seeking injunctive relief and damages.

In the US claim, which was filed at the US District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division, Spin Master said that it launched Bakugan, a series of transforming robots, in 2007.

It became the most successful product line in Spin Master’s history, reaching global sales of over $1 billion.

In a press release, published yesterday, February 12, Spin Master said it has been active in protecting its Bakugan IP in China.

Patent infringement claims have been filed against GuangZhou Lingdong Creative Culture Technology in respect of its line of transforming spheres called Eonster Hunter.

Ben Gadbois, Spin Master’s global president and chief operating officer, said that Spin Master actively monitors markets and will continue to assert and protect its IP rights where it “believes those rights are encroached”.

Ronnen Harary, co-CEO of Spin Master, added: “Bakugan was a global toy phenomenon and we have taken, and continue to take, great care to protect our innovative transforming technology in major territories around the world.”

In July last year, a robotics start-up sued Spin Master over BB-8, a robot featured in the film “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens”. The case appears to be ongoing.

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More on this story

Patents
19 July 2017   A robotics start-up has sued Canada-based toy company Spin Master over BB-8, a robot featured in the film “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens”.
Patents
26 April 2018   Canada-based toy company Spin Master has taken rival Mattel to court, accusing the multinational of infringing patents used in its transforming Bakugan robots.