![](https://www.jckonline.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/default/files/stories/2011/12/key/PhotoDisc gavel_1.jpg)
On Dec. 15, a federal court issued a judgment prohibiting S.K. Diamonds from infringing on Merit Diamond’s Sirena collection.
The judgment from the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, agreed to by both parties, prevents Houston-based S.K. from “infringing or contributing to the infringement of [Merit’s] ‘Solitaire’ Design.’”
Merit called S.K.’s designs “substantially similar” to its Solitaire pendant in a lawsuit filed in July.
The judgment also awards Merit $7,500 in damages.
In a statement, Merit said the case “once again proves its willingness to aggressively police and protect” its Sirena collection.
According to legal papers, to date the Sirena Collection has generated sales of approximately $200 million for Merit, and sales of approximately $500 million for its retailers. The Solitaire design pendant alone generates $7 million in sales, it added.
Sesha Kalapatapu, attorney for S.K. Diamonds, tells JCK, “We had an extremely small amount of sales with the contested item, so it just made sense to settle at the nominal dollar amount that was offered and accepted.”
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