WhiteWater, a leading waterpark manufacturer, has announced the results of a recent patent infringement case brought by a competitor in which it defended four of its new products.
Onno Meeter, president of WhiteWater’s water park business unit, says: “The verdict underscores WhiteWater’s leadership in the area of innovation by confirming that AquaSphere, Orbiter, and Tailspin are unique WhiteWater products.”
Allegations dismissed
On 1 December 2020, ProSlide Technology, Ltd. launched a suit in Canada against WhiteWater, alleging infringement of six patents covering the above water slide products and five industrial designs covering Parallel Pursuit. During the course of the case, allegations concerning the five industrial designs and one patent were dismissed.
On 30 August 2024, the Honourable Justice Michael Manson, a respected intellectual property judge, ruled that there was no infringement of any of the claims relating to the products. Justice Manson also ruled that every patent claim asserted by ProSlide was deemed invalid. ProSlide was ordered to pay WhiteWater’s litigation costs.
In a parallel case concerning eight patents in the United States, allegations concerning five patents were dismissed, one was ruled not to be infringing, and two remain before the court.
WhiteWater’s CEO Geoff Chutter says: “Integrity is priceless, and after years of litigation, this judgment reaffirms that ours is intact. Our focus will continue to put our clients needs first as we develop new products”
This summer, WhiteWater celebrated the launch of the tallest water slide in the US. The firm partnered with Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park in Wisconsin and the architecture firm Ramaker on The Rise of Icarus. The 160-foot-tall slide tower offers a Freefall, four AquaTubes, and vivid colours. The tallest slide is a High-Speed AquaTube named The Fall. Riders plummet from a record-breaking height of 44 metres (145 feet) at speeds that reach 48 km/h (30 mph).
