TL;DR
MiiR is suing Tesla for copying the cup lid design and vertical logo. The patent was granted in 2024. MiiR wants a court order and profits from Tesla.
Seattle-based beverage maker MiiR is suing Tesla for supposedly copying the lid design and overall look of their stainless steel tumbler. The lawsuit, filed May 28 in U.S. District Court in Seattle, alleges that Tesla’s On The Road Tumbler infringes a design patent that covers the lid of MiiR’s tumbler and imitates the cylindrical shape, rounded base and vertical placement of the logo on its 360 Traveler Tumbler.
MiiR accuses Tesla of choosing “substantially copy“your design instead”innovate and develop your own unique style.The company says Tesla was already aware of MiiR’s products because it had previously purchased or considered purchasing them.
In the center of the case is the MiiR cover, described in the patent as “solid circular saucer-shaped lid“whose circumference is perpendicular to the sides of the container. The US Patent and Trademark Office granted the patent in February 2024. MiiR maintains that a layman would be misled into thinking that the two lids are the same or substantially similar.
MiiR also takes issue with the placement of the Tesla logo. MiiR has used a distinctive vertical orientation of its etched branding on tumblers since at least 2011. It says Tesla copied that same orientation. on your glass instead of developing your own visual identity for the product.
The products are similar in size and price. MiiR’s 16-ounce 360 Traveler sells for $34 in eight colors. The 14-ounce Tesla version is priced at $32 in three colors. Tesla sells the tumbler through its online store and retail outlets as part of a broader offering. lifestyle product line that includes clothing and accessories.
Founded in 2010, MiiR has won design awards from the Society of Industrial Designers of America and donates a percentage of proceeds from each product to environmental and community causes. It operates a manufacturing and warehouse facility in Marysville, Washington, north of Seattle. The company is represented by K&L Gates.
MiiR is seeking a permanent injunction to stop Tesla from selling the tumbler, damages, an accounting of Tesla’s profits from the product, and attorneys’ fees. It also asks the court to determine that Tesla’s infringement was intentional, which could result in further damages. A separate claim under the Washington Consumer Protection Act alleges that Tesla misled consumers into believing the tumbler was affiliated with or approved by MiiR.
Tesla has not publicly responded to the lawsuit. This is not the first time that the company has faced intellectual property disputes about the designs of their products.
