JOOLA and Friday Settle Propulsion Core Patent Litigation
Friday agreed to pay royalties, and discontinue manufacturing certain lines of paddles and replace them with others
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Friday and JOOLA have come to a mutual settlement.
- Friday is the ninth of eleven brands named in JOOLA’s April 2026 International Trade Commission action to either settle, consent to relief, or fail to respond to the litigation.
- Friday will pay royalties, and will immediately discontinue all manufacturing of the affected paddles and replace them; existing inventory may be sold through the fall, marked with JOOLA’s Propulsion Core patent numbers.
- JOOLA’s ITC litigation continues against the two remaining named defendants.
NORTH BETHESDA, MD, September 17, 2026 — JOOLA, a globally recognized leader in racquet sports equipment, today announced it has reached a settlement with Friday, resolving all claims against the brand from the patent infringement litigation JOOLA filed with the ITC on April 7, 2026. The settlement concerns JOOLA’s proprietary Propulsion Core technology.
JOOLA’s Propulsion Core technology is protected by a portfolio of utility and design patents.
“Propulsion Core is the technology that changed what a pickleball paddle can do — and we are pleased to have reached a resolution with Friday,” said Richard Lee, CEO of JOOLA. “But our work isn’t finished — we will continue to defend our innovation with the remaining two defendants to protect the technology we built that defines the modern game.”
As part of the agreement, Friday will pay royalties to JOOLA and is able to sell the affected products into the fall. Friday will mark the affected products with JOOLA’s propulsion core patent numbers. All manufacturing of the affected products will be discontinued immediately.
“We agree that patent rights are important to innovation, and we acknowledge JOOLA’s intellectual property. Ever since we started Friday, we’ve chased innovation and respected patents. JOOLA has made great contributions to the sport and the pickleball paddle market. There is so much more innovation left to do,” said Matt Czarnecki, CEO of Friday.
As of today, nine of the eleven brands that JOOLA listed in the initial lawsuit have either settled, consented to the relief sought by JOOLA, or failed to respond to the litigation altogether. The resolution with these brands does not affect the ongoing ITC litigation against the remaining two defendants named in the April 7, 2026 action. JOOLA remains committed to protecting its full intellectual property portfolio.
About JOOLA
Founded in 1952, JOOLA is a globally recognized brand specializing in table tennis and pickleball equipment. With a commitment to innovation and quality, JOOLA continues to lead the way in racquet sports, providing athletes and enthusiasts with the tools they need to excel at every level. JOOLA’s roster of world-class athletes includes Ben Johns, the world’s No. 1 ranked men’s pickleball player, along with Anna Bright, Federico Staksrud, Tyson McGuffin, Hugo Calderano and other top professionals. For more information, visit www.joola.com.
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