Card-Monroe v. Tuftco: the ColorPoint patent suit over computer colour-placement tufting (2014–2017)
Event · not yet checked at the source
- Made by
- Card-Monroe Corp.; Tuftco Corp.
- Date
- filed 2014; settled 6 Nov 2017; injunction 9 Nov 2017
- Place
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee (No. 1:14-cv-292)
- Held by
- U.S. District Court, E.D. Tenn.
- Themes
- Machine tufting & Dalton, Companies & modern tufting
Cite this source
Research notes
Card-Monroe sued Tuftco for infringing its ColorPoint patents (US8141505, US8359989, US8776703). The accused machines were Tuftco's ColorTuft, iTuft c, Colortuft Graphics, iTuft 5c and iTuft 6c when set up for the ColorTuft or Easy Pattern method. In September 2017 an amended memorandum and order (270 F. Supp. 3d 967) ruled partly for each side on summary judgment. Orrick notes the court let Card-Monroe pursue damages for sales abroad based on US infringement. The parties settled on 6 Nov 2017. The agreed order of 9 Nov 2017 said the patents were valid and enforceable, said the accused machines infringed or could be used to infringe, and enjoined Tuftco from selling single-needle-bar ColorTuft/iTuft c machines. Why it matters: it shows how valuable computer colour placement on broadloom machines had become, and it dates Tuftco's iTuft graphics line (trademark filed 2009). The damages figure was not found. Sources: https://floordaily.net/flooring-news/card-monroe-corp-wins-colorpoint-patent-infringement-case/ · https://www.orrick.com/en/Insights/2017/09/The-World-in-US-Courts-Fall-2017--Card-Monroe-Corp-v-Tuftco-Corp · https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/card-monroe-corp-v-886262287 Research note (Oct 2026): from search results; pages not opened.