U.S. District Judge James Ware has denied Spring Design’s motion to block the sale of Barnes & Noble’s nook.
In early November, Spring Design sued Barnes & Noble over the design of their digital reader Nook, arguing that the bookseller broke non-disclosure agreements and “misappropriated trade secrets” about the two-screen design of Spring Design’s Alex Reader. As of this writing, parties on both sides of the lawsuit had not responded to calls for comment.
Engadget reported on the ruling, linking to the judge’s decision. The court document featured that side-by-side comparison of the Spring Design prototype beside the Barnes & Noble nook.
Here’s more from the judge’s decision: “Moreover, Plaintiff’s motion was heard on the day that Defendant launched its nook product, at which time Plaintiff did not have a commercial product available. Thus, the requested preliminary injunction halting the sale of Defendant’s product would alter the status quo, not preserve it … In addition, the Court will expedite the pre-trial process to accommodate Plaintiff’s request for an early hearing on their case.” (Via MobyLives)