Bridgestone Sports Co., an arm of Bridgestone Corp. that manufactures golf equipment, said Tuesday it has sued U.S. golf-club maker Callaway Golf Co. for allegedly infringing on four of its U.S. patents for golf-ball manufacturing.
The lawsuit has been filed with the U.S. District Court in Atlanta, which is located near the headquarters of the company's U.S. arm, Bridgestone Sports (U.S.A.) Inc.
Bridgestone Sports, based in Tokyo, is seeking a court injunction stopping Callaway from making the Rule 35 golf ball, which Callaway began selling in February this year. Monetary damages are also being sought.
The special three-layer structure of the Rule 35 ball was an invention of Bridgestone Sports, it claims.
Bridgestone Sports said its patent involves the idea of surrounding a golf ball's synthetic rubber core with double layers of urethane, giving it the capability of flying longer distances.
It also argues that Callaway further impinged on its patents by copying the diameter and depth of the dimples covering the surface of the ball, it said.
Callaway is a major manufacturer of golf clubs. Earlier this year, the U.S. company diversified into the golf ball business with sales of the Rule 35.