GoPro Hero 4 Session, a cube-like camera, is said to be copied from Polaroid's design. GoPro is being sued by Polaroid maker over a copyright infringement.
Polaroid camera manufacturer C&A Marketing stated that GoPro has disregarded Polaroid's design patent granted in the US in May 2014. According to BBC News, similar designs in the internet and other public domain which predate Polaroid's patent may be attempted to use by GoPro to defend its product's design.
US Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys' Robert Jackson said, "design patents are a series of drawings with a very brief description of what the pictures show." Jackson reiterated that C&A Marketing will prove that GoPro has indeed copied the design of Polaroid Cube and that the company is determined to make further legal actions to do just that.
CNBC reported that GoPro has already sustained minor crash in its stocks after C&A Marketing filed the lawsuit against them. In addition to damages that GoPro might endure, C&A Marketing is seeking to be paid with all of GoPro Hero 4 Session's profits since they started to sell it.
The GoPro Hero 4 Session and Polaroid's Cube are similar in design, particularly the shape and size. Session has an all-black color, while Polaroid Cube has three variants, black, red and turquoise. Functionalities of the two cameras are also quite identical as they can take wide-angle videos and photos in different settings available.
GoPro Hero 4 Session was released on July 6, 2015, 18 months after Polaroid Cube was released in September 2014.