Case 2:16-cv-00651-JRG-RSP Document 1 Filed 06/15/16 Page 1 of 11 PageID #: 1

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
MARSHALL DIVISION

GENIUS GMBH,
Plaintiff
v.
AVON PRODUCTS, INC.
and NEW AVON, LLC
Defendants.

CIVIL ACTION NO.: 2:16-cv-00651

JURY TRIAL DEMANDED

COMPLAINT FOR PATENT INFRINGEMENT

Plaintiff Genius GmbH (Genius or Plaintiff) hereby states its complaint against
Defendants Avon Products, Inc. (Avon Products) and New Avon, LLC (New Avon)
(collectively, Avon) as follows:
NATURE OF THE ACTION
1.

This action seeks to redress Avons infringement of Geniuss United States

Design Patent, US D730,704 (the 704 Patent). As pled below, Avon infringes, and has
infringed, the 704 Patent through, among other infringing activities, selling in the U.S. a food
cutting device known as the 12-Piece All-in-One Food Prep Set (including, without limitation,
any colorable imitations or equivalents thereof) (the Infringing Product).
THE PARTIES
2.

Genius is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Germany, with a

principal place of business at Im Dachsstck 8, 65549 Limburg an der Lahn, Germany.

3.

Avon Products is a New York corporation with a principal place of business at

Case 2:16-cv-00651-JRG-RSP Document 1 Filed 06/15/16 Page 2 of 11 PageID #: 2

777 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. With respect to Texas, Avon Products is a foreign,
for-profit corporation that is registered to conduct business in Texas.
4.

New Avon is a Delaware limited liability company with a principal place of

business at 777 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. With respect to Texas, New Avon is a
foreign, limited liability corporation (LLC) that is registered to conduct business in Texas.
5.

Genius and Avon are competitors in the kitchen-and-household-aids-products

market.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
6.

This Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C.

1331 and 1338 because the action arises under the Patent Laws of the United States, 35
U.S.C. 1, et seq.
7.

Avon maintains, and has maintained, an extensive network of sales agents in

Texas and within the Eastern District of Texas. Avons sales agents promote, offer to sell, and
sell various products, including the Infringing Product, in Texas and within the Eastern District
of Texas.
8.

Avon maintains, and has maintained, a website that promotes, offers to sell, and

sells various products, including the Infringing Product. Avon uses the website to conduct
business in Texas and within the Eastern District of Texas.
9.

Avon distributes, and has distributed, a catalog that that promotes, offers to sell,

and sells various products, including the Infringing Product. Avon uses the catalog to conduct
business in Texas and within the Eastern District of Texas.
10.

This Court has personal jurisdiction over Avon at least because, upon information

Case 2:16-cv-00651-JRG-RSP Document 1 Filed 06/15/16 Page 3 of 11 PageID #: 3

and belief, Avon maintains, and has maintained, substantial, continuous, and systematic contacts
in Texas and within the Eastern District of Texas.
11.

The Court has personal jurisdiction over Avon because Avon has made, used,

sold, offered to sell, and/or imported into the United States, the Infringing Producta product
that infringes the 704 Patent. In particular, Avon has offered to sell and sold the Infringing
Product in Texas and within the Eastern District of Texas.
12.

In addition, upon information and belief, Avon has purposefully placed the

Infringing Product into the stream of commerce using established distribution channels, knowing
the likely destinations of the products to include locations within Texas, and Avons connections
and activities with Texas are such that it should have reasonably anticipated being brought into a
court of the State of Texas and this judicial district.
13.

Venue is proper in this District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1391 and 1400, because

Avon is subject to personal jurisdiction in this District, and because it has committed acts of
patent infringement in this judicial district.
BACKGROUND
GENIUSS DESIGN PATENT
14.

On September 22, 2011, Cedomir Repac filed U.S. Patent Application 29/402,255

(the 255 Application) for the ornamental design for a FOOD CUTTING DEVICE.
15.

On June 2, 2015, after examining the 255 Application, the U.S. Patent and

Trademark Office (the USPTO) approved the 255 Application and subsequently issued the
704 Patent. The 704 Patent claims an ornamental design for a food cutting device, as shown
and described in its figures. A true and correct copy of the 704 Patent is attached as Exhibit A.

Case 2:16-cv-00651-JRG-RSP Document 1 Filed 06/15/16 Page 4 of 11 PageID #: 4

16.

Genius is the owner of all right, title, and interest to the 704 Patent. The

assignment is recorded in the USPTOs assignment database at reel/frame 031600/0338.

AVONS INFRINGING ACTIVITY
17.

The photo immediately below shows an image of the Infringing Product:

18.

The Infringing Product has an ornamental appearance that is substantially the

same as the design claimed in the 704 Patent. The following table shows a visual comparison of
the design claimed in the 704 Patent and the Infringing Product:

Case 2:16-cv-00651-JRG-RSP Document 1 Filed 06/15/16 Page 5 of 11 PageID #: 5

Images from the 704 Patent

Avons Infringing Product

Case 2:16-cv-00651-JRG-RSP Document 1 Filed 06/15/16 Page 6 of 11 PageID #: 6

Images from the 704 Patent

Avons Infringing Product

Case 2:16-cv-00651-JRG-RSP Document 1 Filed 06/15/16 Page 7 of 11 PageID #: 7

Images from the 704 Patent

19.

Avons Infringing Product

In particular, the above comparison of the Infringing Product and the images from

the 704 Patent confirms that the Infringing Product is a copy of the design claimed in the 704
Patent.
20.

Upon information and belief, the Infringing Product is imported from China and

distributed by Avon.
21.

Avon has sold and offered to sell the Infringing Product on its website and on

Amazon.com. These sales directly compete with sales of Geniuss authorized product.
22.

The following screen capture shows that Avon has offered the Infringing Product

for sale on its website:

Case 2:16-cv-00651-JRG-RSP Document 1 Filed 06/15/16 Page 8 of 11 PageID #: 8

23.

Avon has not obtained Geniuss authorization, license, or consent to make, use,

sell, offer to sell, or import products into the U.S. that infringe the 704 Patent, including the
Infringing Product.
24.

Upon information and belief, Avon offered the Infringing Product on its websites

in at least 19 different countries, including the U.S. and Germany. In 2016, Genius learned that
Avons German subsidiary, Avon Cosmetics GmbH (Avon Germany), offered the Infringing

Case 2:16-cv-00651-JRG-RSP Document 1 Filed 06/15/16 Page 9 of 11 PageID #: 9

Product on its German website, www.avon.de. Genius purchased the Infringing Product from
Avon Germany and could verify that it appropriates aesthetic features of Genius protected
design.
25.

By letter of April 29, 2016, Genius notified Avon Germany that it infringed

Geniuss design rights and requested that Avon immediately refrain from advertising, offering
for sale, or distributing the Infringing Product. After Avon Germany refused to comply with this
request, Genius applied for a preliminary injunction with the competent District Court in
Frankfurt, Germany.
26.

On May 18, 2016, the Frankfurt District Court ordered that Avon Germany cease

and desist from offering, distribution, importing or exporting the Infringing Product and to
disclose to Genius names and addresses of producers, suppliers as well as commercial customers,
such as resellers, of the Infringing Product and the number of ordered, received and delivered
Infringing Products. Furthermore, the Frankfurt District Court ordered that Avon Germany must
absorb the costs of the proceedings, including attorneys fees incurred by Genius.
27.

Avon has ignored Geniuss repeated warnings that Avon infringes Geniuss

intellectual property rights. Despite these warnings, Avon has continued to make, use, sell, and
offer to sell the Infringing Product in the United States, and import the same, without a license
and without justification to do so.
CLAIM FOR RELIEF
PATENT INFRINGEMENT (35 U.S.C. 271)
28.

Genius re-alleges each and every allegation set forth in the preceding paragraphs

as if fully set forth herein.

Case 2:16-cv-00651-JRG-RSP Document 1 Filed 06/15/16 Page 10 of 11 PageID #: 10

29.

Avon infringes, and has infringed, the 704 Patent by making, using, selling, and

offering to sell the Infringing Product in the United States without Geniuss authorization,
license, or consent. Avon also infringes, and has infringed, the 704 Patent by importing the
Infringing Product into the United States without Geniuss authorization, license, or consent.
30.

Avons infringement is and was willful and its conduct egregious, at least because

it copied the design claimed in the 704 Patent and, upon information and belief, it has continued
to import and distribute the Infringing Product in the U.S. even after being warned of the
infringement.
31.

For the reasons set forth in the preceding paragraphs, Avons continuing

infringement of the 704 Patent irreparably harms Genius. Genius will continue to suffer
irreparable harm absent entry of an injunction enjoining Avon and its officers, agents, servants,
employees, and attorneys, and all others in active concert or participation with any of them, from
infringing the 704 Patent.
JURY DEMAND
Genius demands a trial by jury on all issues so triable.
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
Genius requests that the Court enter judgment against Avon as follows:
A.

Finding that Avon has willfully infringed the 704 Patent and its conduct in doing

so has been egregious;

B.

Permanently enjoining Avon, its officers, agents, servants, employees, and

attorneys, and all others in active concert or participation with any of them, against further
infringing the 704 Patent;

10

Case 2:16-cv-00651-JRG-RSP Document 1 Filed 06/15/16 Page 11 of 11 PageID #: 11

C.

Requiring that Avon render a full and complete accounting to Genius for Avons

profits and to pay Genius its total profits resulting from the infringement;
D.

Requiring that Avon pay Genius damages adequate to compensate Genius for

Avons infringement of the 704 Patent, but no less than a reasonable royalty;
E.

Enhancing by three-fold the damages that Avon must pay Genius, pursuant to 35

U.S.C. 284, because of Avons egregious infringement;

F.

Finding the case exceptional under 35 U.S.C. 285 and requiring that Avon pay

to Genius its attorneys fees and costs and expenses in this action;
G.

Awarding Genius prejudgment interest, post-judgment interest, and costs of this

action; and
H.

Such other and further relief as the Court may deem appropriate.

Dated: June 15, 2016

/s/ Steven M. Auvil

Steven M. Auvil (Ohio Bar No. 0063827)
Admitted E.D. Texas
steven.auvil@squirepb.com
John J. Thuermer (Ohio Bar No. 0087638)
Admitted E.D. Texas
john.thuermer@squirepb.com
SQUIRE PATTON BOGGS (US) LLP
4900 Key Tower, 127 Public Square
Cleveland, OH 44114
Phone: (216) 479-8500
Fax: (216) 479-8780
Attorneys for Plaintiff Genius GmbH

11

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EXHIBIT A

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CIVIL COVER SHEET

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I. (a) PLAINTIFFS

DEFENDANTS

GENIUS GMBH

AVON PRODUCTS, INC. and NEW AVON, LLC

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