What the JOOLA Patent Lawsuit Means for Pickleball Players: Which Brands Are Affected and What Happens Next
The JOOLA pickleball lawsuit filed on April 7, 2026 is the biggest legal story this sport has ever seen — and if you play with a paddle from Franklin, Paddletek, Engage, Adidas, or seven other brands, you are probably wondering what it actually means for you. Here is a clear-eyed look at what happened, what is at stake, and what comes next.
What JOOLA Is Claiming — and Why the JOOLA Pickleball Lawsuit Matters Now
What JOOLA Is Claiming — and Why the JOOLA Pickleball Lawsuit Matters Now
Pickleball has grown from 4.2 million players in 2020 to 24.3 million in 2025, according to the sports & Fitness Industry Association — a 479% surge that turned a niche backyard game into a serious equipment market. Where there is serious money, there is eventually serious IP litigation. That moment has arrived.
JOOLA, whose parent company is Sport Squad Inc., filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) alleging that 11 paddle brands copied its patented "propulsion core technology" — the construction that put JOOLA at the center of competitive pickleball since 2024. The technology involves a U-shaped EVA foam perimeter around a polypropylene honeycomb core. When JOOLA introduced it in their Gen 3, MOD TA-15, and 3S paddle lines, it produced a noticeable jump in power that changed what players expected from a competitive paddle. According to The Kitchen, many brands followed quickly with similar constructions — and JOOLA says they did so without authorization.
Pickleball's player growth helps explain why JOOLA is acting now rather than later:
The market has grown too large and the gear too central to the sport's identity for a major equipment manufacturer to leave its core technology undefended.
The 11 Brands Named in the JOOLA Pickleball Lawsuit
The 11 Brands Named in the JOOLA Pickleball Lawsuit
According to JOOLA's official press release, the defendants are: Franklin Sports, Proton Sports, RPM Pickleball, Engage Pickleball, Friday Labs, Diadem Sports, Facolos, ProXR Pickleball, Paddletek, Adidas Pickleball, and Volair.
That list spans the full landscape — major consumer names like Franklin and Adidas alongside competitive specialists like Paddletek and Engage. What they share, according to JOOLA, is the specific U-shaped perimeter foam design. Paddles where the foam runs all the way around the core — like the Selkirk Era Power — are not included in the lawsuit.
Here is how the defendant brands break down by market category:
Does This Affect Your Current Paddle?
Does This Affect Your Current Paddle?
No. If you own a paddle from any of the named brands today, this lawsuit does not affect your equipment. You can keep playing.
What JOOLA is seeking is an import exclusion order — meaning it wants the ITC to block future imports of the allegedly infringing paddle designs into the US. If granted, affected brands would need to redesign their paddles, stop selling certain models, or reach a licensing agreement with JOOLA. Existing paddles already in customers' hands are not subject to recall or restriction.
What the ITC can also issue is a cease-and-desist order, which would prevent named brands from selling existing US inventory of infringing products. That is a more immediate pressure point — it is worth watching whether any brands announce redesigns or settlements before the investigation concludes.
What does it mean that the brands you may have trusted for years are now defendants in a federal investigation? Does it change how you think about the gear you play with, or does it feel like a corporate dispute that has nothing to do with your Tuesday night game?
What the ITC Process Looks Like
What the ITC Process Looks Like
JOOLA filed under Section 337 of the Tariff Act, which gives the ITC authority over unfair import practices including patent infringement. It is a deliberately faster forum than federal district court. According to Troutman Pepper Locke, ITC investigations typically conclude within 15 to 18 months from filing — compared to years in district court.
Here is a simplified look at the typical ITC Section 337 timeline:
The ITC decides whether to open a formal investigation within 30 days of the complaint. If instituted, the case moves to an Administrative Law Judge who runs a compressed discovery process. A trial-like evidentiary hearing typically occurs around 10 months in. The final determination comes around 15 to 18 months after filing — meaning we could have a result by late 2027.
What Happens Next for Players and the Sport
What Happens Next for Players and the Sport
The named brands have not yet responded publicly in detail. From here, each faces roughly the same set of options: settle with JOOLA, license the technology, challenge the patent's validity, or redesign their paddles to avoid infringement. Some will likely pursue multiple paths simultaneously.
The sport's gear innovation curve has been extraordinary. According to 11 Pickles, the technology in 2026 paddles is dramatically more advanced than what existed just two years ago — and that pace of development is exactly what makes IP disputes like this one inevitable. When innovation moves fast and the money gets real, patents become competitive weapons.
Here is a snapshot of how much the pickleball equipment market has grown alongside the sport:
I have played with paddles from several of the named brands. None of them will feel different in your hand because of this lawsuit. What may change is what is available for purchase a year or two from now — and what the next generation of paddles looks like as every brand in this sport is forced to invest in its own engineering rather than following JOOLA's lead.
That second outcome, whatever the legal result, might be the best thing that happens to the sport. What would a pickleball paddle market look like where every brand was genuinely competing on original ideas? We may be about to find out.
