One of Costco’s newest offerings, Kirkland Signature-brand golf clubs, has landed the Issaquah, Washington, retailer in legal trouble.

In a patent infringement lawsuit filed last month, Carlsbad, California, golf equipment company TaylorMade alleged Costco’s sold-out $499.99 Kirkland Signature clubs are identical to its $1,399 P790 irons.

Costco began selling Kirkland Signature clubs in December. According to the lawsuit, Costco’s manufacturers had a team that included a former TaylorMade engineer who had worked at the company during the development of P790, which launched in 2017.

Costco declined to comment on the lawsuit. The manufacturer, Southern California Design Company, did not respond to inquiries.

“The design of the accused products directly copies the patented features of the P790 irons, including features covered by the asserted patents,” attorneys for TaylorMade said in the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court of Southern California.

The lawsuit also alleges Costco’s claims that the clubs have premium features such as an “injected urethane insert” are untrue. As a result, according to the lawsuit, Costco misled the public to believe the clubs “are similar to or equivalent to the TaylorMade P790 irons.”

— The Seattle Times