RBW Studio v. Stonehill & Taylor: Design Patent Dispute Ends With Prejudice
RBW Studio brought a design patent infringement action in the Southern District of New York against Stonehill & Taylor Architects and five co-defendants, alleging copying of its sconce light fixture covered by USD1020048S. After 605 days of litigation, the parties filed a joint stipulation of voluntary dismissal with prejudice — signalling a private resolution.
Design patent clash over sconce fixture draws six defendants into S.D.N.Y.
On 26 April 2024, RBW Studio, LLC — a New York-based lighting design firm — filed suit in the Southern District of New York against architect Stonehill & Taylor and five co-defendants: Bowery Street Associates, Michaelis Boyd, The Lightstone Group, HPG International, and PTY Lighting. The sole patent in suit was USD1020048S (App. No. US29/922337), covering the ornamental design of a sconce light fixture. The breadth of defendants — spanning architects, developers, an interior design firm, and a lighting supplier — suggests the complaint targeted a full commercial chain rather than a single product launch.
The case closed on 22 December 2025, when the parties filed a joint stipulation confirming voluntary dismissal with prejudice. Dismissal with prejudice is legally significant: under Rule 41(a), it operates as a final adjudication on the merits, permanently barring RBW Studio from reasserting the same design patent claims against these specific defendants. While the dismissal language does not confirm a settlement, the coordinated, consensual nature of the stipulation — signed by both sides — is consistent with a negotiated resolution, potentially involving licensing, design changes, or a financial payment.
At 605 days, the case ran longer than many design patent disputes that resolve without substantive motion practice, though no trial date was reached. The involvement of six defendants across different roles in the supply and deployment chain may have extended negotiations. The public record does not disclose any damages figure, injunctive relief, or licensing terms, leaving the commercial outcome opaque. What is clear is that RBW Studio chose finality — foreclosing future litigation against this defendant group on this specific design.
Filing to Voluntary dismissal in 605 days
605 days from filing to closure — above average for a voluntarily settled design patent dispute in S.D.N.Y.
Dismissed with prejudice: what the stipulation means for both parties
Voluntary dismissal with prejudice: a permanent bar
A dismissal with prejudice under Rule 41(a) is treated as a final judgment on the merits. RBW Studio cannot re-file USD1020048S infringement claims against any of the six named defendants based on the same accused products or conduct. The joint stipulation — agreed by both sides — suggests mutual consent rather than a unilateral concession, consistent with a negotiated exit.
Rule 41(a) — final on the meritsRBW Studio trades future claims for certainty
By dismissing with prejudice, RBW Studio permanently forecloses re-litigation against these defendants. That trade typically only makes sense if the plaintiff obtained something of value — whether a licensing fee, confirmed product discontinuation, or a covenant from defendants. USD1020048S itself remains in force and can still be enforced against unrelated third parties. The patent’s commercial value is undiminished outside this defendant group.
Patent survives — third-party risk remainsSix defendants receive permanent closure on these claims
All six defendants — Stonehill & Taylor, Bowery Street Associates, Michaelis Boyd, The Lightstone Group, HPG International, and PTY Lighting — are permanently released from USD1020048S infringement claims arising from the conduct at issue. If a license was granted as part of resolution, continued use of the fixture design may be permissible. Defendants in the supply chain (particularly PTY Lighting) would typically negotiate coverage for downstream commercial activity.
Permanent release from these claimsDesign patent enforcement across supply chains: a strategic signal
RBW Studio’s decision to name architects, developers, a lighting supplier, and an FF&E intermediary simultaneously reflects a chain-of-commerce enforcement strategy increasingly common in design patent litigation. This case signals that lighting designers with registered ornamental designs are willing to pursue all commercial actors — not just manufacturers. R&D and procurement teams in the hospitality and commercial interiors sector should treat active design patents in fixture categories as supply-chain-wide risk factors.
Supply-chain design patent riskFull party and counsel information
| Role | Name | Type | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaintiff | RBW Studio, LLC | Company | Lighting design studio — holder of USD1020048S for ornamental sconce light fixture designSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Defendant | Stonehill & Taylor Architects, P.C. | Individual | Architecture firm and five co-defendants spanning development, design, and lighting supply chainSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Co-Defendant | Bowery Street Associates, LLC | Company | Search in Eureka ↗ |
| Co-Defendant | Michaelis Boyd, Inc. | Company | Search in Eureka ↗ |
| Co-Defendant | The Lightstone Group, LLC | Company | Search in Eureka ↗ |
| Co-Defendant | HPG International, Inc. | Company | Search in Eureka ↗ |
| Co-Defendant | PTY Lighting, Inc. | Company | Search in Eureka ↗ |
| Plaintiff counsel | Christopher John Sovak | Attorney | Counsel for RBW Studio, LLCSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Plaintiff counsel | Perry Saidman | Attorney | Counsel for RBW Studio, LLCSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Plaintiff law firm | Bushell, Sovak, Kane & Sash LLP | Law Firm | Representing RBW Studio, LLCSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Plaintiff law firm | Saidman DesignLaw Group, LLC | Law Firm | Representing RBW Studio, LLCSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Defendant counsel | David Constantine Radulescu | Attorney | Counsel for Stonehill & Taylor Architects, P.C.Search in Eureka ↗ |
| Defendant counsel | Etai Yaacov Lahav | Attorney | Counsel for Stonehill & Taylor Architects, P.C.Search in Eureka ↗ |
| Defendant law firm | Radulescu LLP | Law Firm | Representing Stonehill & Taylor Architects, P.C.Search in Eureka ↗ |
| Presiding judge | Judge Edgardo Ramos | Judge | New York Southern District CourtSearch in Eureka ↗ |
Official order — verbatim text
The stipulation states the action is ‘voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice’ — the critical phrase being ‘with prejudice.’ Unlike a without-prejudice dismissal that preserves future claims, this language extinguishes RBW Studio’s right to reassert USD1020048S against these defendants on the same facts. The joint nature of the filing — executed by counsel for both sides — is procedurally consistent with a negotiated resolution. No merits adjudication was made; validity and infringement were never decided by the court.
USD1020048S — Ornamental design for a sconce light fixture
USD1020048S (application number US29/922337) is a U.S. design patent protecting the ornamental appearance of a sconce light fixture. Design patents under 35 U.S.C. § 171 protect the visual characteristics of an article of manufacture — not its function. Protection is defined by the drawings filed with the application; any product whose overall appearance is substantially similar to the claimed design as perceived by an ordinary observer may infringe. Sconce fixtures sit at the intersection of architectural hardware and interior design, making ornamental differentiation a key commercial asset for premium lighting brands.
For a studio like RBW, which competes on design identity, securing design patent protection on signature fixture silhouettes is a core IP strategy. The decision to assert USD1020048S against architects, developers, and suppliers — rather than a competing manufacturer alone — suggests confidence in the patent’s enforceability and a broad interpretation of the infringing chain. Competitors developing wall-mounted fixture lines with curved or distinctive profiles should conduct a design clearance analysis against the drawings of USD1020048S before product launch or specification in commercial projects.
Should you run an FTO against USD1020048S before specifying sconce fixtures?
Any interior designer, architect, FF&E procurement team, or lighting manufacturer working with sconce fixtures in the U.S. market should consider a freedom-to-operate review against USD1020048S. This case demonstrates that infringement liability can attach to specifiers and developers — not just manufacturers — making pre-specification clearance commercially prudent. Products with ornamental profiles similar to RBW Studio’s registered design carry litigation risk at every stage of the supply chain.
PatSnap Eureka’s FTO Search Agent can map the visual claim scope of USD1020048S against competing fixture designs, identify design-around opportunities, and flag related design patent families in the architectural lighting space. For procurement teams evaluating sconce products for hospitality, commercial office, or residential projects, a targeted design patent clearance search can materially reduce infringement exposure before products are specified or installed.
Run a freedom-to-operate analysis on USD1020048S to assess your product’s exposure
Run FTO in Eureka →Similar design patent infringement cases in architectural lighting
Explore related design patent disputes involving light fixtures and ornamental hardware adjudicated in federal district courts, including S.D.N.Y.
What this case signals for the architectural lighting IP landscape
A multi-defendant design patent action resolved with prejudice points to enforceable design rights and coordinated risk across the fixture supply chain.
Design patents in lighting are enforced across the full commercial chain
RBW Studio named six defendants spanning architecture, development, interior design, FF&E supply, and lighting distribution. This chain-of-commerce approach is a warning to all actors who specify, procure, or install light fixtures: infringement exposure is not limited to the manufacturer. Any party deriving commercial benefit from an infringing product may face joinder.
Dismissal with prejudice signals resolution — not defeat for the plaintiff
The symmetric, stipulated nature of the dismissal is inconsistent with a pure plaintiff abandonment. In design patent cases of this duration and complexity, a with-prejudice dismissal most commonly reflects confidential settlement terms — potentially including licensing fees, product modification commitments, or injunctive undertakings not visible in the public docket.
RBW v Stonehill — key questions answered
USD1020048S (App. No. US29/922337) is a U.S. design patent held by RBW Studio, LLC covering the ornamental appearance of a sconce light fixture. In case 1:24-cv-03188, RBW asserted this patent against six defendants, alleging their specification, procurement, or supply of a sconce fixture infringed the protected design. Design patents protect visual appearance, not function, and infringement is assessed by the ordinary observer test.
The parties filed a joint stipulation of voluntary dismissal with prejudice on 22 December 2025. ‘With prejudice’ means the dismissal operates as a final judgment: RBW Studio cannot reassert the same USD1020048S claims against these six defendants. The consensual, bilateral nature of the stipulation is consistent with a private settlement, though no terms are publicly disclosed.
RBW Studio named an architecture firm (Stonehill & Taylor), a real estate developer (Bowery Street Associates), an interior design firm (Michaelis Boyd), a hospitality developer (The Lightstone Group), an FF&E supplier (HPG International), and a lighting supplier (PTY Lighting). This multi-defendant structure targets every commercial actor in the fixture specification and deployment chain — a recognised enforcement strategy in design patent litigation.
No. A voluntary dismissal with prejudice resolves claims only between RBW Studio and the named defendants. It contains no validity ruling and does not constitute a judgment of invalidity or non-infringement. USD1020048S remains an active, enforceable U.S. design patent. RBW Studio retains full rights to assert the patent against any other party not covered by the stipulation.
The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Case No. 1:24-cv-03188) and was assigned to Judge Edgardo Ramos. The Southern District of New York is a significant venue for IP litigation, and Judge Ramos has presided over numerous intellectual property matters in the district.
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