FOLLOW US

In a courtroom clash that stirred up more than just soup cans, an Illinois federal jury has slapped Campbell Soup Co. with a $17 million verdict over patent infringement claims tied to gravity-fed display racks — the kind you see stacked with cans in grocery aisles across America.

The verdict, entered Monday, follows a tense trial pitting Campbell against Gamon Plus Inc. and Gamon International Inc., who accused the soup giant and others of infringing two U.S. patents — Nos. 8,827,111 and 9,144,326 — that cover the innovative rack design.

While the jury also issued a $398,564 judgment against Trinity Manufacturing LLC, no monetary damages were awarded against The Kroger Co. or Meijer Inc., both co-defendants in the case. The trial concluded Friday, with the verdict itself remaining under seal for now.

Patents, Soup Cans, and Gravity: The Core of the Case

The dispute boiled down to Campbell’s use of racks that allegedly copied Gamon’s patented gravity-feed system — devices that rely on slanted rails and simple physics to roll products forward as others are removed.

In January, U.S. District Judge Georgia N. Alexakis granted summary judgment of infringement, rejecting Campbell’s attempt to argue that its racks didn’t infringe on Gamon’s designs.

“Campbell provides all the components — both the racks and the soup cans — necessary to infringe upon each element of the claim,” Judge Alexakis wrote.

The ruling solidified Gamon’s case, leaving jurors to determine whether the patents were valid and to assess damages for infringement.

A Legal Saga Years in the Making

This was no overnight victory. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) upheld part of Gamon’s patents in 2018, allowing the company’s claims to proceed after Campbell and Trinity Manufacturing sought to invalidate them.

During those proceedings, judges grilled Gamon’s counsel over whether the design patent protected the rack itself or the cans it displayed.

“How could a design patent for a rack only accommodate a certain type of can?” asked U.S. Circuit Judge Kimberly A. Moore, musing whether the same gravity-fed concept could dispense soda, Pringles, or even industrial drums.

The Federal Circuit ultimately affirmed in part and vacated in part the PTAB’s earlier findings, paving the way for this year’s trial — and the jury’s decisive multimillion-dollar verdict.

Industry Fallout and Next Steps

The decision marks a major win for Gamon, a longtime supplier that reportedly sold over $31 million worth of racks to Campbell between 2000 and 2007. It also underscores the high-stakes nature of design patents in the world of retail merchandising.

A Campbell spokesperson declined to comment, citing the ongoing nature of the matter. Representatives for Kroger, Meijer, and Trinity did not immediately respond to requests for comment late Monday.