Trijicon and Holosun quickly settle patent infringement accusation

Here's an oddity: A legal battle settled almost as soon as it started. Back in July of 2020, firearms optics manufacturer Trijicon filed a patent infringement suit against competitor Holosun. Not even two months later, it's all been sorted out. Trijicon and Holosun aren't saying exactly what the terms are.

Trijicon and Holosun are two well-known manufacturers in the tactical optics game. Both companies build battery-powered reflex sights that allow for quick shooting. Most of Trijicon's products are manufactured in Michigan or California, while Holosun makes its optics in China. Holosun's sights are significantly lower-priced than Trijicon sights. Both companies are seeing their products in high demand these days, as firearms sales are booming in the US. The tactical rifle market is especially hot, and that's where Trijicon and Holoson sights are very popular, although some of the sights involved here were aimed at the pistol market.

Trijicon aimed its patent infringement suit at nine Holosun sights. The complaint seems based around a 2013 Trijicon patent that relates to the sight housing. Trijicon accused Holosun of knowingly importing and selling sights that infringed on this patent, Bloomberg says.

Quick resolution

Normally, these legal scraps take months to work out in court, maybe even years. Surprisingly, Trijicon and Holosun settled their dispute and come to an agreement in a matter of weeks, although neither party is saying exactly how the deal went down. Holosun's Facebook page says “We look forward to spirited competition in the marketplace and continuing to create innovative products for professionals, competitors, and enthusiasts. The unique technologies packed into Holosun optical sights make aiming and shooting faster and more intuitive while providing unparalleled value to our customers.”

Trijicon's website says "Trijicon successfully defended its intellectual property around reflex sight features and technology," with Trijicon president/CEO saying "We invest heavily in research, development, and testing at Trijicon to ensure our optics are ready to perform for the most demanding users, and we are committed to defending that investment in innovation.” Neither Trijicon nor Holosun would divulge the terms of the settlement, though. No doubt there will be some trickle-down effect on consumers, but there's been no announcement of any Holosun optics dropping from the market at this point.