The US International Trade Commission (USITC) will investigate patent claims against nearly 30 child carrier manufacturers including Babybjörn, Stokke, Cybex and Phil & Teds.
The investigation has been raised following a complaint issued to the commission by US sling and carrier company Líllébaby.
Lillébaby has alleged that the companies have imported products which infringetwo of its US patents, which cover designs for child carriers with ‘adaptive leg supports’.
The companies have 20 days from the notice to submit their response to the allegations.
Lillébaby has asked the USITC to issue a general or limited exclusion order preventing the further import of the products and is seeking cease and desist orders against the defendants.
The USITC investigation will run alongside a lawsuit which Lillébaby also filed last month, claiming that the products in question infringed its patents.
A spokesperson from BabyBjörn commented: “LilleBaby has sued 30 companies that distribute baby carriers, of which BabyBjörn is one. LilleBaby claims that these companies infringe LilleBaby’s patents from 2012 and 2013. We are currently reviewing all the documents that LilleBaby has filed to the court.”
