UPDATE: U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Roman dismissed Bonhac World Corp.’s complaint on January 20, 2023, finding that the Monsey company had failed to establish jurisdiction in New York for a plausible claim.
A California company that sells devices that help people grip utensils and tools is “attempting to pervert American commercialism,” according to a Rockland County competitor.
Bonhac World Corp. of Monsey accused EazyHold of Simi Valley, California of patent abuse and blocking competitors from selling products on Amazon.com.
“Instead of investing in product improvement and marketing,” Bonhac states in a Nov. 8 complaint filed in White Plains federal court, EazyHold “uses its patent, that never should have been registered, to bully innocent sellers.”
Kerry Mellin, Eazyhold’s inventor and co-owner of parent company Mellin Works LLC, did not respond to an email asking for her side of the story.
Both companies market their products to children and adults with hand tremors, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease and other ailments that impede their ability to handle utensils and tools.
Kerry Mellin began working on her invention in 2014, according to news articles. Her idea was to create a flexible, silicone cuff that attaches to a utensil and wraps around a hand or arm.
The grips are sold to more than 8,000 schools, hospitals and therapy centers worldwide, according to the company’s website.
Bonhac, operated by Naftuli Burger, was incorporated in 2016 and began selling products on Amazon in 2017. It offers Linelax brand grips and utensils with wide nonslip handles.
Last December, EazyHold notified Bonhac that it was infringing on two patents, the complaint states, and that it had filed complaints with Amazon and the Federal Trade Commission.
Amazon removed Bonhac’s offering from its third-party sales platform.
Bonhac claims that there is little similarity between the competing products and that EazyHold’s invention does not incorporate all of the elements necessary to support a patent infringement claim.
EazyHold “is misusing their patents with full knowledge that their conduct is not protected or recognized by law,” the complaint states, “with the sole purpose of illegally and unethically impeding upstanding sellers from being successful.”
Bonhac accuses EazyHold of deceptive trade practices, monopolistic conduct, unfair competition and interference with business on Amazon.
It is asking the court to stop EazyHold from engaging in unfair practices, order Amazon to reinstate Bonhac’s offerings and award damages amounting to three times the profits lost due to unfair competition.
Bonhac is represented by Manhattan attorney Jason Lowe and Nassau County attorney Jacob Rubinstein.
