Dyson sues rival Vax over vacuum cleaner designDyson has launched legal action against rival manufacturer Vax, claiming the design of its Mach Zen vacuum cleaner is an infringement of the registered design of its first "bagless" Dyson cylinder vacuum, launched 15 years ago.
The company's founder and inventor James Dyson – who revolutionised the domestic appliance market with the product – said the Chinese-owned rival had "flagrantly copied" Dyson's iconic design and pledged to set a precedent on behalf of all designers.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jan/27/dyson-sues-vax
Hi M00seUK,
I'm not looking to pick a fight but this article reads awfully like yet another Dyson press releaase. If there is indeed an actual lawsuit, this looks like a put up job. I didn't feel much informed of by way of a news article's required "who, when, where and what" and came away wondering why the author invested so many words regarding Dyson's "back story" AND a photo of the irrepressible Jimmy D holding a Dyson Ball. Could this be a photo op? Whatever it is, the story stinks on hot ice. Personally I think the guy's looking for a little extra free cash so that he can put the new boat in dry dock and have it painted a different shade.
By all means -- and I insist -- please do take my feeling on the matter with a grain of salt as I do not love Dyson product in the first place. YET, there is one small point. The Zen vacuum quite obviously does not closely resemble any canister vacuum that Dyson actually put out on the market.
Please inform me of, save for an actual, documented break-in into Dyson's vaults and theft of plans that it might have but never used, of the illegalities here.
That said, and I again am wont to be corrected, I still maintain that certain things once on the market are going to develop variations on a given theme to such a degree that all the whining over small and moot points is not going to get you anywhere.
Dyson did not itself invent cylonic vacuum cleaners. The idea was already there by way of central vacuum systems and dust collection systems. Dyson only came up with an idea of how to compact the technology for use in what would be considered a standard-sized portable household vacuum. And, even in light of that, there were still pre-Dyson vacuums claiming or alluding to whirlwind force and virtue.
I wonder who sued American Electrolux for finally shedding its long used metal runners for wheels other tank-type and canister vacs had been using all along. I wonder who Electrolux sued for using sled-like runners. This suit, or promise of it, is all more like an airplane manufacturer suing another airplane company because its product has wiing too.
Judges are not product designers nor are product designers the best judges in this case. The issue is whether there was genuine intent to steal a manner of design and commit fraud. What else is copyright infringement? That will be hard to prove.
Venson
Got my answer. Thanks Mike.