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Tecumseh continues trademark legal action

Tecumseh’s AW and AE compressors are at the centre of the legal action

USA: Compressor manufacturer Tecumseh is to proceed with its trademark infringement action after a US court rejected an appeal by Kulthorn Kirby and Elco.

Tecumseh first announced the legal action in February, alleging that Thai compressor manufacturer Kulthorn Kirby Public Company Ltd and its US distributor Elco Refrigeration Solutions had infringed trademarks related to its AE/AE2 and AW compressors.

Tecumseh says it is seeking to protect its AE/AE2 and AW registered trademarks from use by Kulthorn and Elco that Tecumseh believes is likely to cause confusion and mistake in the marketplace.

The AE/AE2 and AW models are included in Tecumseh’s range of hermetic reciprocating compressors. The AE series compressor was launched in 1960. The AE2 series, along with the AEX compressor models, are the latest introductions. Tecumseh claims that over 200 million AE/AE2 series compressors have been sold worldwide.

Kulthorn Kirby also offers compressors carrying AE and AW designations as part of its range of compressors.

Following the Federal Court for the Eastern District of Michigan’s decision Kulthorn and Elco motion to dismiss the trademark infringement claims, Tecumseh says its will “move forward with legal action to ensure that it protects the valuable trademarks that are associated world-wide with the company’s strong reputation for product performance and reliability”.

Related stories:

Tecumseh in trademark battle1 February 2017
USA: Tecumseh says it is taking legal action over trademarks with Thai compressor manufacturer Kulthorn Kirby Public Company Ltd and its US distributor Elco Refrigeration Solutions. Read more…

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