U.S. News | Piper Aircraft Sues eVTOL Startup Archer for Trademark Violation

Piper Aircraft has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Delaware against eVTOL aircraft startup, Archer Aviation for trademark infringement.

The plaintiff alleges that the defendant is using its federally-registered trademark covering its Archer family of piston singles without permission or authorization.

The plaintiff reportedly said that the use of the name for the four-seat, fixed-wing eVTOL infringes its registered mark and has caused lots of damages including its reputation and infringing on its legal rights in the state of Florida.

The plaintiff alleges that the former Piper Aircraft Corp. first introduced the Archer model in 1976 and had consistently used the trademark since then.

The plaintiff reportedly said that the trademark was acquired by the new owners of the company after it emerged from bankruptcy protection in 1995.

In 2019, Piper sold 189 Archer aircraft and made the 5,000th delivery of the four-seater model. Current versions of the aircraft include the Archer LX, which features a 180-hp Lycoming engine and Garmin G1000NXi avionics, and the diesel-powered DLX.

The plaintiff alleges that the infringement has caused lots of damages, confusion, and unfair competition.

The plaintiff seeks a jury, permanent injunction, and payment of damages.

The case is ongoing.

Piper Aircraft, Inc. v. Archer Aviation Inc.