6/3/2015 By Mike Hoye
Kick X Denies Infringement in Alleged Patent Complaint; States the Golf Industry Needs to Focus on Growing the Game, Not Another Lawsuit.
VISTA, Calif. – On April 9, 2015, Kick X Sports was served with a lawsuit filed by Acushnet Company, the parent company of Titleist, in United States District Court in Boston, Massachusetts. The complaint alleges that the Kick X Tour Z golf ball violates patents held by Acushnet related to the dimple design used on its Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x balls. Kick X today announced that it has formally responded to the lawsuit, denying infringement of any valid claim.
“We feel that the lawsuit filed by Acushnet is without merit, therefore Kick X will go to court to refute the allegations,” said Bob Koch, founder and president of Kick X Sports. “The sport of golf as a whole has had challenges over the past decade. We are now seeing positive indicators that the industry is recovering, but it’s not without the effort and innovation of many. We need to be focused on growing the game, and not on litigation that just puts more stress on the honorable legacy of our sport.”
“Titleist is a dominant brand in our business, but by suing upstart companies like Kick X, it is creating an environment where innovation and competition is not welcome in golf,” continued Koch. “We do not believe Acushnet will prevail in this matter. Therefore, we have no choice but to stand behind our proprietary ball technology and fight back. While this saddens me, Kick X is growing quickly and we have been recognized as one of the companies to watch. Clearly the prospect of having a new kid on the green is causing trepidation, so instead of working together to make the game of golf better, we are forced to focus our resources on fighting in court.”
The Kick X Tour Z ball at issue in the case features a Metal Fuzion Core™ that creates the spring effect found in premium golf balls. The Tour Z was designed with a fusion of three proprietary metals that concentrate mass in the center of its core, which allows the ball to rebound more quickly when compressed at impact, producing additional launch speed and distance.
An aerodynamic cover provides unmatched accuracy on tee shots and exceptional spin control on approaches. The layered construction is engineered to deliver a soft, superior feel around the green. In an independent comparison conducted last summer at the highly respected Golf Laboratories, Inc. testing site in San Diego, the Kick X Tour Z outdistanced the best premium balls from Titleist.
“We spent years developing the Kick X Tour Z for the best possible performance in a conforming golf ball,” said Koch. “We are confident that we will show it is based on our own innovation and hard work.”