3M Co. and 3M Innovative Properties Co. filed a lawsuit yesterday, in the Central District of California against K2 Concepts and China-based Phoenix Automotive Refinishing, alleging multiple counts of patent, trademark, and copyright infringement.
The suit alleges that certain automotive painting spray gun cup products, which are made by Phoenix in China and marketed and sold in the United States by K2, infringe seven 3M patents directed to 3M’s PPS technology that enables the efficient mixing and spraying of coatings for automotive collision repair and other applications. The suit also alleges that Phoenix’s marketing materials for those same spray gun