Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Smethport Specialty Alleges ‘Wooly Willy’ Patent Expired
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A Texas-based group has filed a federal lawsuit against Smethport Development Co., alleging they have been printing an expired patent on their ‘Wooly Willy’ packaging since 1975.
On January 26, 2011, a complaint was filed in Texas Eastern District Court by a firm named Patent Group, LLC.
The complaint alleges that Smethport Development Company a/k/a Smethport Specialty, uses an expired patent on their Wooly Willy packaging.
The Wooly Willy toys, originally produced in Smethport, PA, were first manufactured in 1955, and are still produced to this day.
The toy has gained world-wide notoriety, even recently appearing in television shows such as ‘That 70’s Show’ and ‘The Family Guy”. The toy has been the icon of Smethport Specialty for over half a century.
It was not immediately clear at the time of this posting what, if any, damages Patent Group, LLC is seeking in the lawsuit.
