NEW ORLEANS – A company hopes the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana reverses a trademark for an oilfield services firm that alleges they created a proprietary tubing system, based on a lawsuit filed June 4.
Plaintiff Benton Energy Service Company, dba Besco Tubular took legal action against Cajun Services Unlimited LLC dba Spoked Manufacturing, after the defendant allegedly stole and trademarked a pipe handling system.
Besco said it exclusively created and developed a system called Besco’s Bail Assisted Tubular Thread (BATT System). In addition to the BATT system, Besco used a hydraulic single joint elevator (HSJE), manufactured by Tesco Corporation. To build a more efficient elevator with roller die inserts, Besco started conversations with third-party companies like Cajun that could help create computer drawings and manufacture the unique equipment. After a number of discussions, Besco asked Cajun its fee, and Cajun in return said “it owned the HSJE roller die inserts and [refused] to sell them to Besco,” the complaint alleged.
The lawsuit also stated Besco’s chief operating officer believed Cajun would fabricate the inserts and sell them to Besco as the two companies have worked together in the past. The plaintiff pointed out Besco employee Jamie Lovell came up with the idea of the replaceable die inserts and Cajun didn’t have a right to claim ownership.
Still, Besco ultimately rented the roller dies from Cajun without a written agreement. The court's assistance was sought after Cajun allegedly made certain demands that Beso claims in never agreed to follow. Besco reached out to a different company to create the roller dies.
Meanwhile, Cajun filed an application to trademark the items in question and subsequently warned Besco it would file a lawsuit for patent infringement.
Besco in turn filed the current lawsuit seeking a declaration that Cajun’s patent for the Elevator Roller Insert System is not valid or enforceable. Besco stated it sued Cajun amid the threat Cajun would file a lawsuit first, a strategy the plaintiff said could ultimately hurt its business and its customers.