Kirkland and Titleist locked in legal battle
Titleist unhappy with Kirkland's claims their ball meets/exceeds standards of leading brands
Kirkland and Titleist - more specifically owners Costco and Acushnet - are locked in a legal dispute over golf ball patents and advertising claims, according to Golf WRX.
NEW KIRKLAND BALL SURFACES ON USGA CONFORMING LIST
A complaint from the United States District Court in Seattle states Costo are asking for a declaratory judgement that it is:
- “Not infringing any valid patent rights owned by…Acushnet”
- “Not engaged in any false advertising regarding the (Kirkland Signature) golf balls.”
KIRKLAND BALL SELLS OUT IN 30 MINUTES
Apparently, Acushnet sent a threatening letter to Costco, accusing it of infringing 11 patents and engaging in false advertising in saying the Kirkland Signature “meets or exceeds the quality standards of leading national brands”.
“Acushnet asserts that the statement is intended to indicate to a reasonable consumer that the "Kirkland Signature" golf ball is the same or of greater quality as Titleist’s Pro V1,” the complaint states.
However, Costo says it has not compared the Kirkland product with any Titleist ball.
The Kirkland ball retails at $15 (12.16) per-dozen, while the Titleist Pro V1 is on sale for £34.99.
