ITC Bars Importation of Copyright-Infringing Products from Shenzhen, China
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Twin-Star Intl. announced the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has issued a limited exclusion order barring the importation of all infringing products of Shenzhen Reliap Industrial Co. and Yue Qiu Sheng, both of Shenzhen, China, after an investigation of copyright infringement.
The ITC’s initial investigation began Jan. 19, 2012, based on a complaint filed by Twin-Star against California-based Whalen Furniture Mfg. Inc., which was then consolidated with a prior ITC investigation based on an earlier complaint filed by Twin-Star against Reliap and Yue. The complaints charge a violation of the Tariff Act of 1930 regarding the importation and sale in the U.S. of certain electric fireplaces and their components as well as processes of manufacturing by reason of infringement of U.S. copyrights and misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contract, and tortuous interference with contract. These copyrights cover the unique designs of Twin-Star’s electric fireplace inserts as well as content contained within their user manuals.