This post is intended for all players in the global log cabin market. It is about a legal case between the Dutch giant Tuindeco and us, Eurodita, a fast-growing Lithuanian manufacturer. Tuindeco might have their own story. This is the story. You will be the true winner if you read the entire article.
Tuindeco sued us at the end of 2014. The case was based on a charge of plagiarism. Their lawyers claimed that one our log cabins was a duplicate of their product. We didn’t find this surprising. Our log cabins were in high demand in Europe at the time. They also enjoyed a rapid rise in popularity in Great Britain. The Dutch company felt threatened because their market share was at risk.
They repeatedly warned us to stop making the model. We refused to comply, as we considered their demands unreasonable and unfounded. We were certain we had the law to our side when they decided that we should go to court against them. This proved to be true.
THE PIZZA ANALOGY
After a long legal process, the court ruled that Tuindeco had not been successful in their case and that their claims were unfounded. We found evidence that the exact model had been on the market since 2005. Tuindeco began production in 2007.
Second, the court argued log cabins are now a common object in trade practice. This means that patents and plagiarising claims do not apply. This is common sense for every dealer. They are aware that there are many manufacturers producing similar products and decide to source log cabins from the manufacturer with the best pricing and service.
Imagine a pizzeria being sued for making salami pizza. This would be absurd, wouldn’t it? Sure, someone baked it first, but now the salami pizza is part of world heritage, and can thus be made and sold by anyone who wishes to do so.” Such were the words of Mr. Rolanas Kutra, the founder and CEO of Eurodita, who commented on the court’s decision for the media.
WHAT YOUR VICTORY BRINGS TO SUFFICIENTIAL YOU
We won the battle but Eurodita was not able to recover from Tuindeco’s attack in the following year. The court ordered us to stop all production during the legal proceedings. These temporary legal measures resulted in significant losses and some clients being lost.
However, the truth was revealed and 2016 promises to be a great year for our determined company. We are seeing a significant increase in our share of many markets, which is helping us to grow our sales. The long legal battle was actually a blessing in disguise.
Smart dealers know what the driving theme of this story is. Tuindeco and Eurodita produce similar products, but we do it cheaper. In business, there is nothing worse than a better competitor. The Dutch company sued us because of this. We received a lot positive publicity from the whole thing, so now you can see who can add more value to your business. We are the leaders in helping smart dealers like you.