Rainbow Loom Maker Sues Rival Toymaker Over Patents Choon Ng, creator of the colorful bracelet-making kit that has become a national sensation, has accused a fellow toymaker of patent infringement.

By Catherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

theartofdoing.com

The risk of having a really brilliant, blockbuster idea is that somebody will want to copy it.

So it's no wonder that the creator of Rainbow Loom, the colorful bracelet-making kit that has become a national sensation, has filed a lawsuit against the makers of FunLoom, accusing the company of patent infringement.

Rainbow Loom creator Choon Ng filed a lawsuit last month against Steven Verona, the owner of the Miami Beach, Fla.-based company Zenacon which makes FunLoom, claiming that Rainbow Loom's trademark C-shaped fastener is being infringed upon.

Related: The Wild and Crazy Career Paths of 5 Self-Made Billionaires (Infographic)

Ng also claims Verona used Rainbow Loom's promotional photos to sell FunLoom. Causing particular offense, Ng says the photos included the hands and arms of his wife and daughters, according to the lawsuit.

"Zenacon and Steven Verona have willfully engaged in acts of unfair competition," the lawsuit states, which "have caused, and if not restrained by this Court, will continue to cause Choon serious and irreparable injury for which it has no adequate remedy at law." Ng demanded reparations to as best as is possible amend for the damages.

The invention of the loom is especially personal for Ng and his family. An engineer with a do-it-yourself attitude, Ng went through almost 30 iterations of what is essentially a board with stick pins to come up with the design for a loom and hook that can be used to make jewelry out of rubber bands.

Related link: Inventor of the Wildly Popular 'Rainbow Loom' Weaves the American Dream With Rubber Bands in a Detroit Basement

Ng worked hard to convince his wife to let him invest all of their $10,000 in savings in the initial production phase of the toy. Eventually, Ng quit his job as a Nissan crash-test engineer to devote all his energy into the production of the toy. As the popularity of the loom skyrocketed, Ng landed a spot on the Today Show. When craft chain Michaels started carrying the product, it sold 10 times better than the store's previous bestselling kid's product.

Check out the nitty gritty of the legal battle in the 18-page lawsuit pasted below.

Choon's Design v. Zenacon et. al. by PriorSmart

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Buying / Investing in Business

Former Zillow Execs Target $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

College Professors Are Turning to ChatGPT to Generate Course Materials. One Student Noticed — and Asked for a Refund.

AI use in higher education is becoming more popular for students and professors.

Business News

Barbara Corcoran Finds a Buyer in One Day for Her $12 Million 'Palace in the Sky' Penthouse

Corcoran bought the duplex co-op for $10 million in 2015 and spent $2 million renovating it.

Growing a Business

Is It Time to Pivot Your Business? 3 Clear Signs You Shouldn't Ignore

Pivots can be uncomfortable, even scary. But they're often necessary for survival. The key is knowing when and how to do it right.

Leadership

How to Build a Resilient Team That Thrives in Uncertainty

Learn how to build a team that stays calm under pressure, adapts quickly and grows stronger in the face of change, no matter what the market throws your way.