A lawsuit against Louisville Slugger claiming Slugger's recently released Flare Glove Line infringes on Akadema's Funnel glove patent, U.S. Pat. No. D527,148. Akadema Funnel Glove has been on sale since 2004. Since Akadema's inception in 1998, the company has been one of the most prolific glove designers in the industry in both baseball and softball . The company currently holds seven patents. Lawrence Gilligan, president and designer, notes "We plan on defending our patents no matter how big or small the company is that infringes." Akadema is based in Garfield, NJ.