Context: A German-founded brand with its headquarters in Maryland, JOOLA started table tennis in 1952, and then debuted its pickleball offerings in 2022. Its “propulsion core technology” allegedly became the industry standard. JOOLA owns two patents, U.S. Patent No. 12,465,826 and U.S. Patent No. 12,357,891 (both titled “Game Paddle”), which include the construction of a paddle using filler material to cover the removed core part to influence the feel, power, and vibration. The patents are due to expire in 2043.
What’s new: JOOLA submitted a complaint to the United States International Trade Commission (USITC or ITC) against 11 pickleball paddle brands: Franklin, Proton, RPM, Engage, Friday, Diadem, Facolos, ProXR, Paddletek, Adidas (through All Racquet Sports and All For Padel), and Volair. Two days later (April 9, 2026), JOOLA brought new patent infringement lawsuits against all 11 respondents in federal district courts nationwide, including the Northern District of California, the District of Delaware, the District of Arizona, the District of Colorado, the Eastern District of Missouri, and the Southern District of Florida.
Direct impact: JOOLA is employing a time-tested two-track approach: the ITC to get a ban on the rapid importation, and the district courts to get financial damages. If the ITC grants JOOLA’s requested limited exclusion order, the 11 brands would be barred from importing their accused paddles into the U.S. This is commercially significant as most pickleball paddles are manufactured in China. The parallel cases in the district courts demand monetary damages, including treble damages on willful infringement, and injunctions.
Wider ramifications: This is a rare example of a single patent holder suing almost an entire product category simultaneously. The ITC has liberal joinder regulations, and it is not uncommon for patentees to sue so many companies at once. However, initiating 11 district court cases in 11 different jurisdictions (more details below the box) is a huge expenditure of legal capital. The strategy implies that JOOLA is not being selective in enforcing its patents, but is instead targeting a broad range of competitors.
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Friday Pickleball comment
We received the following comment shortly after this article went live:
“At Friday Pickleball, we are always innovating. The technology in these patents is from a previous generation of paddles that had some benefits and but also some problems that we had to innovate around. We’ve already moved to the next gen. We will defend ourselves fully if we have to, but we are confident that this dispute can be resolved quickly.”
Counsel
JOOLA (Sport Squad, Inc.) is being represented across all proceedings by: K&L Gates LLP’s Nicholas F. Lenning (Seattle), Christina N. Goodrich (Los Angeles), Rachel Berman (Los Angeles), Jason A. Engel, Austin C. Holler, Devdhi Kasana, and Kahlan E. Noel (Chicago).
Friday Labs is being represented by Hecht Partners LLP’s David L. Hecht, Maxim Price, and Tanner Murphy.