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  1. #1
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    Knolly sues Intense

    The suit was filed on Monday as 'Knolly Bikes Inc. v. Intense Cycles, Inc.' at California Central District Court with case number '5:20-cv-02571'. Knolly is alleging that Intense has infringed on the patent US 10,363,988 granted to Knolly CEO Noel Buckley that was filed in 2014 and granted in 2019.

    This patent describes a rear suspension system with at least four inches of travel and a seat tube that can accommodate a dropper seat post with at least four inches of travel. The patent also states that the seat tube intersects the downtube above the bottom bracket at an angle between 50° and 75° relative to the horizontal.

    The suit claims that six of Intense's models infringe on this patent - the Tracer, the Carbine, the Tazer e-bike, the Primer 29, Primer S and Primer 27.5 - and that Knolly believes and has information that Intense has examined Knolly's bikes that use the technology.
    Hmmm

  2. #2
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    Seems like a colossal waste of time and some $$$
    I have been in this State for 30 years and I am willing to admit that I am part of the problem.

    "Happiest years of my life were earning < $8.00 and hour, collecting unemployment every spring and fall, no car, no debt and no responsibilities. 1984-1990 Park City UT"

  3. #3
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    Aluminum bike war huh?

  4. #4
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    Lawyers gotta lawyer.
    www.apriliaforum.com

    "If the road You followed brought you to this,of what use was the road"?

    "I have no idea what I am talking about but would be happy to share my biased opinions as fact on the matter. "
    Ottime

  5. #5
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    as much as it seems like a pretty ridiculous patent, can't say I care that much about either of these companies.

  6. #6
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    Hmmm, yeah as an owner of an Endorphin before my drive side chainstay cracked behind the pivot not sure what this is going to accomplish for Noel. Seems a far stretch to compete with a suspension design that was already being bought by Noel anyways, not really even invented by the guy.

  7. #7
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    The bike industry's habit of patenting minor, fairly obvious variations on the same shit that everyone's been doing for decades is fucking dumb.

  8. #8
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    It’s almost like innovation doesn’t bring a better product at lower cost to the consumer.

  9. #9
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    This has got to be the stupidest fucking patent dispute of all time, at least in terms of bicycles. The whole thing presupposes that it's valuable to have an uninterrupted tube from seat collar to BB, so you can lower your saddle all the way. Which was useful, until fucking dropper posts became a thing like a decade ago and this whole concept was made irrelevant. Intense could have put a tiny dogleg in the seat tube, avoid the patent, and suffer zero change in performance, maybe even a better/steeper STA. Bummer for them, but fuck knolly.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by toast2266 View Post
    Every industry's habit of patenting minor, fairly obvious variations on the same shit that everyone's been doing for decades is fucking dumb.
    FIFY.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by RootSkier View Post
    FIFY.
    Seriously. Apple patented the shape of a rectangle with rounded corners.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dantheman View Post
    Seriously. Apple patented the shape of a rectangle with rounded corners.
    Fuckers stole that from me. I thought of it when the solid block of ice you guys made me put in my rotocooler melted a little.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by EWG View Post
    Fuckers stole that from me. I thought of it when the solid block of ice you guys made me put in my rotocooler melted a little.
    I saw it once on a 1000 year old tombstone.
    Fuckers
    Forum Cross Pollinator, gratuitously strident

  14. #14
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    It's a wonder they didn't see any backlash before venturing into this.
    Two best reasons I've heard for this were:
    1. Knolly was tired of having such a good guy reputation and decided it was time to get into the "Specialized Game"
    2. At the rate they come out with new bikes, this is a much faster source of income for them.
    However many are in a shit ton.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by jm2e View Post
    It's a wonder they didn't see any backlash before venturing into this.
    Two best reasons I've heard for this were:
    1. Knolly was tired of having such a good guy reputation and decided it was time to get into the "Specialized Game"
    2. At the rate they come out with new bikes, this is a much faster source of income for them.
    3. They're trying to cut their losses. Six years ago when the company was doing a bit better, they decided to file for a largely unnecessary and poorly conceived patent. They spent a lot of time and money pursuing that patent, and now they feel like they have to enforce it because they want to make their sunk cost feel worthwhile. But they were so blinded by their pursuit of enforcement that they didn't stop to consider the collateral damage their brand would take in the process, which could very easily exceed the nominal (and questionable) gains they'll achieve in their enforcement action.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by toast2266 View Post
    3. They're trying to cut their losses. Six years ago when the company was doing a bit better, they decided to file for a largely unnecessary and poorly conceived patent. They spent a lot of time and money pursuing that patent, and now they feel like they have to enforce it because they want to make their sunk cost feel worthwhile. But they were so blinded by their pursuit of enforcement that they didn't stop to consider the collateral damage their brand would take in the process, which could very easily exceed the nominal (and questionable) gains they'll achieve in their enforcement action.
    AKA the Backcountry effect.

  17. #17
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    I’m bummed to hear this, i ride a knolly.


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

  18. #18
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    How could a bike company not be doing well right now? If they are litigating to survive in 2020, they deserve to be bankrupt.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Canada1 View Post
    How could a bike company not be doing well right now? If they are litigating to survive in 2020, they deserve to be bankrupt.
    Small market bike company with limited marketing resources, limited dealerships and Aluminum frames.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by simple View Post
    Aluminum bike war huh?
    Except that Intense hasn't had any aluminum bikes in their lineup in over five years.

    Quote Originally Posted by jm2e View Post
    It's a wonder they didn't see any backlash before venturing into this.
    Two best reasons I've heard for this were:
    1. Knolly was tired of having such a good guy reputation and decided it was time to get into the "Specialized Game"
    2. At the rate they come out with new bikes, this is a much faster source of income for them.
    Ding ding ding. Knolly's dead in the water and that's hard for a bike company to do right now. I'd be willing to bet that most mountain bikes on the market fit into this category right now. They're just going after the weakest member of the herd. Bummer all around.
    There's nothing better than sliding down snow, and flying through the air

  21. #21
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    That's a pretty big gamble to take for a company that is assumed to be short on cash. Unless the lawyers are promising no fee without a win.

  22. #22
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    All of this is not very Canadian, eh?
    Forum Cross Pollinator, gratuitously strident

  23. #23
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    Their next model should be called Death Rattle.
    Remind me. We'll send him a red cap and a Speedo.

  24. #24
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    Knolly sues Intense

    Quote Originally Posted by Conundrum View Post
    It’s almost like innovation doesn’t bring a better product at lower cost to the consumer.
    Should we start the komrades bike coalition? We can give everyone the exact same bike and tell them to cry in their borsht if they dont like it! Sounds fun and totally down to only ride steel 3 speeds again.

    Totally teasing and don’t disagree with you!
    Someone once told me that I ski like a Scandinavian angel.

  25. #25
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    ahora quiero alfajores de postre está noche...
    Forum Cross Pollinator, gratuitously strident

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