The Stockroom Countersues Sportsheets in Trademark Battle

The Stockroom Countersues Sportsheets in Trademark Battle

LOS ANGELES — Two of the top bondage manufacturers and retailers in the sex toy and novelty industry are in a legal war over words.

The battle has escalated into the federal courtroom, with claims and counterclaims focusing on a trademarked phrase — “Under the Bed Restraint System” — used to describe Sportsheets International Inc.’s bondage gear.

Sportsheets, which registered the “Under the Bed Restraint System,” phrase with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2015, filed a suit this past summer against The Stockroom Inc., accusing the rival of using the “Under Bed” descriptor with its products

Sportsheets, in the suit, said that The Stockroom willfully infringed on the trademark in claims seeking a restraining order, unspecified damages and destruction of all products bearing the similar phrase.

But shortly after the initial suit was filed, legal counsel for The Stockroom shot back and promptly filed a counterclaim, saying that the trademark claims were "frivolous."

The Stockroom, in court papers, asked a federal judge to cancel Sportsheets' trademarked phrase — U.S. Registration No. 4,669,665 — by ruling that it is a generic mark.   

Sportsheets trademark for “Under the Bed Restraint System” is described as "sexual aids for enhancement of sexual pleasure and performance, namely, fabric wrist-cuffs and fabric ankle cuffs with small metal attachments, and fabric anchors with small metal attachments, all for use alone or in combination with other devices for sexual positioning and role playing."

The Stockroom’s counterclaims said that its KinkLab BedSpread Under Bed Bondage Strap is the focus of the complaint and that it sold the product prior to the date that Sportsheets applied for its trademark registration.

Further, The Stockroom said that its KinkLab BedSpread Under Bed Bondage Straps and Sportsheet’s Under the Bed Restraint System “are so dissimilar in their respective names, packaging, branding and commercial impression that there is no reasonable likelihood of confusion.”

To complicate matters, according to the counterclaim, The Stockroom said that it earlier entered into an oral agreement with Sportsheets that allowed Stockroom to change the name of its product without any liability if Sportsheets would permit it to sell through its remaining inventory.

According to the counterclaim, Sportsheets agreed to The Stockroom’s offer but later filed a lawsuit anyway.

“The Stockroom was in the process of selling through its inventory and in all ways complied with its contractual obligations with Sportsheets,” The Stockroom’s counterclaim said. “It did not reorder packaging under its BedSpread mark and undertook at substantial and unnecessary expense the rebranding of its BedSpread product.

In response to the suit and countersuit, Julie Stewart, president of Huntington Beach, Calif.-based Sportsheets International Inc., told XBIZ that she can’t comment on pending litigation, “except to say that it is unfortunate that Sportsheets has been forced to resort to our courts to protect our intellectual property.”

“U.S law requires Sportsheets to vigorously enforce our trademark rights against all infringers — even customers — to safeguard our federally registered trademarks for our best-selling brands and products,” Stewart said.

Joel Tucker, founder and CEO of The Stockroom Inc. of Los Angeles, called Sportsheets’s decision to pursue the suit “over-reaching and misguided.”

“If this matter goes to trial, The Stockroom expects to prevail,” Tucker told XBIZ.

“Despite Sportsheets’s statement that they were ‘forced’ to take this action, from my perspective they had a considerable range of different — and better — options for pursuing their goals,” Tucker said. “Heretofore, The Stockroom and Sportsheets have always enjoyed reasonably friendly relations as far as I knew, and in fact we have been a supporter of their company and brand and have carried their products for more than 15 years.

“Sometimes disagreements can break out between friends, and subsequently they can patch things up and move on as friends again,” Tucker said. “I don’t know if that will happen in this case, but there may still be some hope for a friendlier outcome.”

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Fantasy Gifts NJ Unveils 'Shave Stix' With Product Launch Event

Sexual wellness retailer Fantasy Gifts NJ introduced its new Shave Stix during a special event at its Lumberton location on April 17.

Motorbunny Now Available on 'Throne' Gift Platform

Motorbunny pleasure products are now available on Throne gift platform.

AV Bulletin: Age Verification Hits the Mainstream, Ofcom Sets a Date

Industry stakeholders and free speech advocates have anxiously been awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, which could significantly impact state age verification laws around the country. In the meantime, state legislatures continue to weigh and pass AV bills, AV tech providers continue to tout their services, and legal challenges continue to play out in the courts — with some cases on hold pending the SCOTUS ruling in Paxton.

Honey's Place Now Distributing Camtoyz

Honey's Place is now distributing Camtoyz pleasure products.

ToyChats Announces Reviewer Incentives

Recently launched pleasure product review site ToyChats has announced a giveaway program for reviewers.

Paradise Marketing Acquires CondomMan

Paradise Marketing has acquired CondomMan distribution.

RIDMII Debuts New Sex Doll Collection

Pleasure brand RIDMII has introduced a new line of sex dolls.

VVD Debuts Combo Set With 'Vkini,' 'Rider Desire'

Pleasure brand VVD has debuted a new bundle with its Vkini vibrating bikini top and Rider Desire saddle.

B-Vibe Expands 'Butties' Collection, Debuts Harness Sets

B-Vibe has expanded its Butties collection with six new anal plugs and introduced two new harness sets.

Dame Acquires Chakrubs

Sexual wellness brand Dame has acquired luxury pleasure products company Chakrubs.

Show More