THOMASVILLE, NC — Furniture Brands International and its Thomasville Furniture division announced a settlement has been reached in the design patent infringement case against Pulaski Furniture, a division of Home Meridian International.

Filed in 2009 in North Carolina Middle District Court, the lawsuit claimed that Pulaski’s Toscano Vialetto bedroom collection contained similar elements to Thomasville’s Hills of Tuscany collection. Motions in the lawsuit continued through 2011, before settlement was reached.

Although financial details have not been disclosed, FBI said that Pulaski has agreed to discontinue sales of the furniture, although it will fulfill existing orders. Pulaski will also phase out its existing inventory of the product line.

In a statement, Thomasville Furniture President Ed Teplitz said, "We are pleased to have resolved this matter, and once again, reinforce Thomasville's steadfast commitment to its unique designs."

According RFC Express, a site of recently filed U.S. Federal District Court cases, this is the second time since 2002 that Thomasville has brought a patent infringement suit against a company in the North Carolina Middle District Court.