Legal & Courts  August 20, 2019

Lawsuit accuses Louisville jump-rope maker of skipping over patent rules

LOUISVILLE — Jump Rope Systems LLC, a Louisville-based developer of patented jump rope handle technology, is suing another Louisville firm, alleging patent infringement.

The suit, filed last week in U.S. District Court in Denver, accused Fit For Life LLC of continuing to sell products containing JRS’ technology after the expiration of a licensing agreement between the two firms.

The companies entered into a 2016 licensing agreement for the JRS’ jump rope handle system, which is unique in that it features bearings that allow for smooth rotation and pivoting while speed jumping, according to the suit. That agreement, which allowed Fit For Life to sell four products with JRS’ technology, expired in 2018 and was not renewed.

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According to court documents, Fit For Life continues to sell JRS-patented products through its website and other e-commerce platforms.

The JRS suit, filed by Boulder attorney Christopher Limpus, demands unspecified damages and contends that if the court doesn’t block Fit For Life from selling products that infringe on the company’s patent, it will “continue to suffer irreparable harm.”

Limpus did not respond to a request for comment prior to publication Tuesday.

JRS, which was co-founded by World Jump Rope Champion Molly Metz, has been involved with similar disputes in the past.

The company sued Denver-based jump rope component maker Smith Ventures Ltd. in 2016 for patent infringement. Smith countersued, alleging JRS was paid royalties it was not entitled to and refused to refund the overpayments. That suit was eventually dismissed in 2017, and each party was ordered to pay its own attorney fees.

JRS filed a patent infringement suit against Ohio-based Coulter Ventures LLC, which does business as Rouge Fitness and supplies equipment for CrossFit exercise operations. Court documents show that a judge ordered a stay in that case in May to allow for a review of the validity of JRS’ patents.

LOUISVILLE — Jump Rope Systems LLC, a Louisville-based developer of patented jump rope handle technology, is suing another Louisville firm, alleging patent infringement.

The suit, filed last week in U.S. District Court in Denver, accused Fit For Life LLC of continuing to sell products containing JRS’ technology after the expiration of a licensing agreement between the two firms.

The companies entered into a 2016 licensing agreement for the JRS’ jump rope handle system, which is unique in that it features bearings that allow for smooth rotation and pivoting while speed jumping, according to the suit. That agreement, which allowed Fit For Life…

Christopher Wood
Christopher Wood is editor and publisher of BizWest, a regional business journal covering Boulder, Broomfield, Larimer and Weld counties. Wood co-founded the Northern Colorado Business Report in 1995 and served as publisher of the Boulder County Business Report until the two publications were merged to form BizWest in 2014. From 1990 to 1995, Wood served as reporter and managing editor of the Denver Business Journal. He is a Marine Corps veteran and a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder. He has won numerous awards from the Colorado Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists and the Alliance of Area Business Publishers.
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