The Bookseller.com

1st December 2008

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Retailers asked to withdraw pocket maps

21.04.08 Victoria Arnstein

Booksellers and distributors selling Berlitz-branded Pocket Maps are expected to receive a letter on Tuesday (22nd April) asking them to withdraw the products from sale within 48 hours. The request forms part of legal proceedings taken against Berlitz's parent company, GeoCenter International, which has been accused by Compass Maps of infringing its patent, design right and copyright.

The claim, taken to the High Court by Compass Maps, concerns the way the maps are folded using an origami design. Compass has been making its PopOut-branded maps, which were distributed in the UK by Geocenter between 2000 and 2005, since 1992 and believes that the Berlitz maps, released to the market in April 2006, infringe its rights.

Geocenter has 28 days to respond to the legal claim being made by Compass, but in the meantime Beachcroft LLP, which is acting for the claimant, will write to distributors and major booksellers asking them to withdraw the products. "They must withdraw the maps from sale," claimed Robin Fry, a partner at Beachcroft. "If not they will be liable for knowingly selling goods that infringe the rights of Compass Maps [if they win the case]."

Fry denied that it was scaremongering prior to any judgment being made: "The stores can take the view of whether or not it is infringing or scaremongering. Something is either infringing or it is not but it is up to distributors and retailers to consider that view," he said. "The safest course for the distributor is to surrender the goods – whether we destroy them is another question, but we do want them delivered up."

Responding to the claims, Ian MacDonald, sales and marketing director at Geocenter, said: "I'm not really surprised by anything Compass does. We had a round of legal proceedings when we launched the product two years ago which came to nothing. We are currently in discussions and as always are anxious to act within the law."

Andrew Steed, manager of the Covent Garden Branch of Stanfords, said it would probably continue to sell the Berlitz maps until the case was settled.

No other booksellers were available for comment.

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