Costa Mesa, Calif. — Iron Grip Barbell Co. has filed suit against Troy Barbell (USA Sports, Inc.) for patent infringement. Iron Grip claims Troy's recently introduced line of interlocking Olympic plates infringes Iron Grip's intellectual property. Iron Grip further claims Troy's eight-sided dumbbell line also infringes Iron Grip's patents.
In related news, Iron Grip recently brought suit against Icon Health & Fitness Inc. for several lines of weight plates sold under the Weider brand. Iron Grip alleges these products infringe Iron Grip's intellectual property. Also named in this suit is Sears Roebuck Inc., a distributor of the infringing products. In addition, Iron Grip brought suit against two other manufactures of consumer fitness equipment — Sportworks, Inc. and Hard Gear Sporting Goods Inc. Both companies have recently introduced Olympic plate lines with features that allegedly infringe Iron Grip's intellectual property.