North Sails has issued a statement addressing its legal action against Emirates Team New Zealand, pushing back against what it describes as inaccurate claims made by the defending America’s Cup syndicate. The sailmaker says it was compelled to initiate proceedings after facing repeated and unjustified threats of patent infringement from the New Zealand team.
According to North Sails, Emirates Team New Zealand misappropriated the company’s intellectual property to obtain a patent over sail technology. The team is now allegedly threatening to enforce that patent against its America’s Cup competitors, which North Sails argues is detrimental to fair competition. As the exclusive sail supplier to every challenging and defending team, North Sails says it has been specifically targeted as a means for Emirates Team New Zealand to achieve its objectives.
The company expressed deep disappointment that Emirates Team New Zealand has undermined a longstanding relationship of trust, one that had allowed North Sails to share its technology and expertise for the benefit of the sport. Despite making every effort to resolve the dispute amicably and avoid unnecessary legal escalation, North Sails says it was ultimately left with no choice but to take action to protect both its intellectual property and its America’s Cup customers.
North Sails confirmed it will make no further comment on the Emirates Team New Zealand arbitration process, citing the confidentiality of those proceedings.
The sailmaker firmly believes the patent in question is invalid and expressed confidence that its legal challenges will vindicate its position and prevent Emirates Team New Zealand from using the disputed patent to disrupt fair competition in the America’s Cup. North Sails noted that to date, Emirates Team New Zealand has not addressed the substantive challenges to the patent’s validity, instead focusing on procedural and jurisdictional arguments. The company says it looks forward to its challenges being addressed on their merits.
North Sails is the exclusive sail supplier to every team competing in the 38th America’s Cup and has proudly supported every America’s Cup defender and challenger since 1980.
