Acushnet Company announced a retail product exchange program at the end of December to try to avoid additional problems relating to the sale of its popular Titleist Pro V1 golf balls. An injunction against Pro V1 models that were found to infringe on patents held by Callaway Golf was set to take effect January 1.
Acushnet converted its production of Pro V1s in September to make golf balls that were outside the patents at issue, and had requested that beginning January 1, retailers only sell the converted Pro V1 and V1x balls. However, to try to be certain that non-converted Pro V1 models were taken out of inventory before they could be found in violation of the injunction, Acushnet then felt it was also necessary to institute the exchange program. Details of the product exchange were communicated directly to retailers, and also made available at www.titleist.com
Acushnet has always disputed the contention of patent violations, but all attempts to lift the injunction have been denied, most recently in an appeals decision handed down on December 23.
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