The Maritime and Commercial High Court has banned Sharp from selling its Sumobox portable speaker in Denmark after a lawsuit filed by Danish company Soundboks, a manufacturer of battery-powered party speakers. The court has ruled that Sharp’s marketing of the Sumobox speaker infringed upon Soundboks’ rights under the Marketing Practices Act.

Sharp is now prohibited from marketing, selling, and exporting the Sumobox to Denmark, and must recall all affected products currently in stock within the country. Soundboks’ CEO, Jesper Theil Thomsen, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, emphasizing that it sends a strong message against the unauthorized replication of original Danish designs by multinational corporations.

The lawsuit also alleged copyright infringement related to the Sumobox’s design similarities to Soundboks products, specifically the round rubber balls on the corners, the speaker grille, and the packaging design. However, the Maritime and Commercial High Court did not find sufficient grounds to uphold Soundboks’ claim of copyright infringement. The ruling pertains to the design elements, not the technical construction of the speaker itself.

Soundboks was established ten years ago by three friends seeking a portable, battery-powered speaker for 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 company with over a century of history, employs 46,200 people globally as of late 2022.