Coway sues Kyowon, accusing rival of copying ice-making water purifier
From left are Coway's Icon ice-making water purifier, Cuckoo Homesys' Zero 100 Slim ice-making water purifier, Kyowon Property's Wells Ice One ice-making water purifier and ChungHo Nais' Ice Tree ice-making water purifier. Courtesy of Coway
Korean home appliance maker Coway filed a lawsuit against Kyowon Property, alleging that the Wells Ice One ice-making water purifier, released by Kyowon in April, copied the exterior and key functions of Coway’s ice-making water purifier, which was released in 2022 and patented last year.
Coway asked the court to order Kyowon to stop selling the product and pay compensation.
“As the leading water purifier maker, we have refrained from filing lawsuits over infringements of our intellectual properties,” a Coway official said.
“However, we decided to file the lawsuit to enable the market to grow based on fair competition.”
In June, Coway sent a warning to Kyowon, alleging that both companies’ ice-making water purifiers are similar in terms of designs and functions.
However, Kyowon refuted the claim, saying that it also obtained a design patent.
“To protect our own intellectual properties, we will take stern measures against the lawsuit,” a Kyowon official said.
Coway also claimed that a number of other water purifier makers have infringed its intellectual properties. The company said it sent warnings to ChungHo Nais in March and September and to Cuckoo Homesys in August, alleging that they copied the designs and technologies of Coway’s water purifiers.