Rei Subsidiary Settles Lawsuit Against Coleman

Mountain Safety Research, a subsidiary of Seattle-based Recreational Equipment Inc., has reached a $100,000 settlement in a lawsuit against The Coleman Co. for allegedly copying a patented MSR design for a backpackers' stove.

A federal district court judge ruled, however, that Coleman's Peak One Division did not violate MSR's trademark rights. MSR President Dave Bartholomew said the company will appeal that ruling.

Bartholomew said his company agreed to the settlement with Coleman partly because MSR's patent had expired. But the settlement, reached last week, "makes us hopeful the trademark issue will be resolved in our favor," he said. "It is our belief that Coleman's decision to settle acknowledges MSR as the innovator of the modular backpacking stove."

MSR has been selling its modular, liquid-fuel single-burner stoves for about 18 years and says it set an industry standard for lightweight, high-efficiency models.

Bartholomew said Coleman first shipped its product, called the Apex Component Stove System, in 1992.

Stove sales make up more than half of MSR's annual sales, Bartholomew said. Although he declined to reveal statistics, he said

annual sales were in the millions of dollars. The private company also makes climbing equipment, water filters and cookware for hikers and climbers.

"We are noted for having the best stoves and want to protect that reputation. Although we are a small company, compared to

Coleman, we felt it was important to go toe-to-toe and defend ourselves," he said.