Fishing lure manufacturer sues Bass Pro over 'mass-produced knock-offs'

A small Las Vegas-based company with a "legendary reputation in the world of bass fishing" has accused Bass Pro Shops of copying patented lure designs, according to a lawsuit.

Huddleston Deluxe filed a copyright infringement, patent infringement and unfair competition lawsuit against Bass Pro on April 10 in a federal court district headquartered in San Francisco.

Huddleston pointed to "nearly identical" similarities between its own "swimbait" lures and lures under Bass Pro's brand called XPS.

A spokesman for Bass Pro said Wednesday that the company does not comment on pending litigation.

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Huddleston's suit complains that large retailers can copy designs of small specialty companies, and mass-manufacture the copied designs in a "lower cost region, such as China" and sell the products at much lower prices.

The suit specifically names Bass Pro's Slo Mo Swimmer Swimbait, which retails for $5.29 or $6.49 and comes in hitch, shad and light trout designs, according to Bass Pro's website.

On Huddleston's website, the cost of a six-inch lure is $25.73 and can range up to $81.90 for larger sizes.

The suit claims that Huddleston is "recognized as a pioneer and leader in designing realistic 'swimbait' lures, which mirror the natural movement of bait fish, making them more alluring to larger target fish, a particularly desirable feature for tournament and trophy fishing."

According to a post on Huddleston's Facebook page, Bass Pro Shops used to sell Huddleston swimbait lures.

In a statement, CEO Samuel "Ken" Huddleston said: "We attempted to address our concerns without litigation, but received no response. Unfortunately, that left us no option but to take legal action to enforce our rights. We respect and value intellectual property rights, and expect the same of others. We remain disappointed that Bass Pro Shops has failed to respect our legal rights, and we plan to vigorously defend our rights and to succeed in our claims against Bass Pro Shops.”

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The Facebook post also included a statement from Huddleston’s attorney, Kimberly Donovan of GCA Law Partners LLP.

“Typically we hear about large scale patent litigation involving huge companies, but patent infringement can also involve a small inventor and craftsman who developed his livelihood around his invention and creativity," Donovan's statement said. ".... It is unfortunate to see a large company profiting off (Huddleston's) invention and design through mass-produced knock-offs sold at very low prices, as alleged in this lawsuit.”

The lawsuit alleges Bass Pro has damaged Huddleston Deluxe's "business, reputation and goodwill, diverted its trade, eroded prices and caused a loss of profits."

Huddleston is asking for Bass Pro to stop selling certain types of lures, and to pay damages as well as attorney's fees to the company.

In January 2014, Duel Co., a Japanese corporation sued Bass Pro over similar copyright complaints about lures.

Duel decided to drop the lawsuit later that year, online court records show.