Where do I even begin to explain how I feel about this mess? Most of you may not know but I have a pretty bad anxiety problem, and a lawsuit is the last thing I needed to worry about and add to my plate! Since the thread has been created, I may as well say my piece and then leave it be.
First, I never expected to still be building racks. The fact that I still am is largely due to the support I've received from the T4R.org community and I'm truly thankful for it.
When I decided to build a rack for myself, I looked at what was available on the market and figured I can build a better low-profile roof rack, so I came up with my 3rd gen design. I still have the very index card I wrote all of my bend measurements on 3 years ago, I use it on every build. I have no idea how a piece of paper has lasted so long with so many trips through a greasy, gloved hand and hasn't been set on fire from grinder sparks or welding spatter.
I had no knowledge of patents or the ins and outs thereof, I wasn't planning to build the same product so who cares, right? Eventually the 4th gen rack came to be; basically a wider version of the 3rd gen rack with a different mounting setup. Fast forward to a few weeks ago when my mother called me at work late one night. Thinking that's pretty odd I give her a shout and she lays the news on me...a lawsuit had been filed. Anxiety through the roof! No sleep, no eat, no smiles, bad times. We look at the lawsuit, we see their patent, and it's immediately apparent that it's different from every angle. They're as similar as one brand of pickup truck is to another brand of pickup truck. They're different from the top, from the side, from the front, and from the back. Reading into patent law has tought me that's there's a lot to patent law I'll never understand. One thing that sucked to learn was how ridiculously expensive patent litigation is. As all of you are aware, I'm a one-man operation. This is very much a David and Goliath situation and basically, just fighting this, right or wrong, will put me so far under the table it's crazy. I have my own theories as of to why exactly the suit was brought, many of you share those same ideas. For obvious reasons, I can't divulge specifics of the issue until all the dust settles and I can see what's left. The lawsuit itself is a matter of public record and it makes me so sick I get tired of seeing my own name in print. I'm doing my best to keep going and keep the shop lease paid. Who knows, I may finally have time to play with bumpers or something... Everyone is welcome to their own opinion and once again, I appreciate the support I've received from this forum. If you're the praying type, keep me in your prayers as this is a very stressful time for my family and I.
To all those who's orders I had to forego: please feel free to email at any time. If or when I'm able, I'll gladly work with any of you again.
