By James Wells

SYDNEY: Breville managing director, Joe Hersch, has issued a reply this afternoon to Current.com.au in response to a statement released today by Sunbeam regarding an ongoing court case involving Breville’s Ikon blenders.

“Two years ago Breville set out to design and build the best blender in the world. Approximately 120 prototypes, 10,000 ice cubes and 900 bananas later, Breville launched the Ikon blenders with Breville’s new Kinetix technology. Breville is very proud of the success of this innovative product in the market,” Hersch said in his statement.

“About a week before Christmas 2006, Breville’s major competitor in blenders and other appliances, Sunbeam Corporation Limited, unsuccessfully sought a court injunction against certain aspects of Breville’s marketing of the Ikon blenders. The court ordered Sunbeam to pay Breville’s legal costs. Sunbeam has previously threatened to take legal action in relation to other innovative Breville products.

“Sunbeam’s application for an injunction was based on testing that Breville considers was misconceived. It has now emerged that the report of that testing contained a significant error and that, on one of Sunbeam’s own tests, the Ikon blender achieved a better result than the Sunbeam blenders tested by a considerable margin. In other Sunbeam tests, Sunbeam’s “Fusion” blender (RRP$49.95) gave better results than Sunbeam’s “MultiBlender Electronic” (RRP$129).

“Shortly before Christmas, Breville agreed to take steps to avoid any confusion that a patent has been granted over the Kinetix technology when, in fact, Breville’s patent application is still pending.

“It is regrettable that Sunbeam has taken this course of action.  Breville will vigorously defend the allegations made against it and still remains committed to innovation," the statement concluded.