The Maritime and Commercial High Court has ruled that Sharp, the Japanese electronics manufacturer, is prohibited from selling its Sumobox portable speaker in Denmark. This decision comes after a lawsuit filed by the Danish company Soundboks, a producer of battery-powered party speakers.

The court determined that Sharp’s marketing of the Sumobox speaker infringed upon Soundboks’ rights under the Marketing Practices Act. This ruling specifically bans the sale and related activities of Sumobox within Denmark.

Soundboks had also accused Sharp of copyright infringement, arguing that the Sumobox design closely resembled Soundboks’ own product, including similarities in the rubber corner balls, speaker grille, and packaging design. However, the Maritime and Commercial High Court did not find sufficient grounds to grant Soundboks copyright protection in this case.

Soundboks was established a decade ago by three high school students who sought a durable, battery-operated speaker for their campsite at the Roskilde Festival. The company has since expanded its reach to 40 countries, selling over 250,000 speakers worldwide and employing approximately 100 people.

Sharp, a Japanese corporation with over a century of history, employed 46,200 individuals worldwide at the close of 2022.