Indiana Intellectual Property Law News
Camco Manufacturing, LLC has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana against Seaflo Marine & RV North America, LLC. The case centers on allegations of trademark, trade dress, and patent infringement, as well as unfair competition.
Camco, a company based in North Carolina with more than five decades in the recreational vehicle, boating, and camping accessories market, claims that Seaflo has copied its distinctive orange trade dress used on sewer hoses and fittings for RVs. According to the complaint, Camco has sold products with this design since 2006 and holds a federal trademark registration (U.S. Reg. No. 5,864,456) for the use of the color orange on those products. Camco argues that Seaflo’s products are so similar in appearance that consumers could be misled into believing they originate from or are associated with Camco.
In addition to the trade dress allegations, Camco asserts th
at Seaflo has
infringed several of its patents, including one covering a corrugated hose with a bayonet connector (US Patent 11/732,829 B1) and another covering the ornamental design of a tongue jack pad (US Patent D893,120 S1). Camco claims that Seaflo’s competing sewer hose kits and jack stands are identical or nearly identical to its patented designs and therefore violate U.S. patent law.
The lawsuit states that Camco notified Seaflo of these alleged infringements in May 2024 through a cease-and-desist letter but did not receive a substantive response. Camco now seeks damages, an injunction to prevent Seaflo from continuing sales of the disputed products, and recovery of profits it says were gained through the alleged infringements. The company is also asking the court to award enhanced damages and attorneys’ fees, citing what it describes as willful misconduct by Seaflo.
The case has been assigned to Magistrate Judge Scott J. Frankel in the U.S. District Court of Northern Indiana Case No. 3:25-cv-00636.