Belkin suing OtterBox over distribution rights; reports indicate smartphone case maker is exploring a sale

FORT COLLINS – Amid reports that owners are exploring a sale of the company, Otter Products LLC also finds itself embroiled in another lawsuit.

California-based consumer products company Belkin International Inc. is suing Fort Collins-based Otter Products – maker of OtterBox smartphone and tablet cases – in U.S. District Court in California, seeking damages of $10 million. The suit alleges that OtterBox, which purchased competitor LifeProof in 2013, has since been violating an agreement that had granted Belkin exclusive rights to distribute LifeProof cases in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Late Tuesday, Reuters reported that OtterBox – the No. 1 smartphone…