ROCKLAND, Maine — A Rockport man is asking the court to order an Illinois man to follow through on a business deal the Mainer claims would generate them both nearly $33 million for selling high-tech sunglasses.
The lawsuit on behalf of John Galley was filed Friday in Knox County Superior Court against Kirk Kreutzig of Woodridge, Illinois.
Galley claims in his lawsuit that the test sales earlier this year of the sunglasses through Kickstarter generated $340,000, calling it the most successful effort for Kickstarter to date. A check of Kickstarter’s website shows that the product referred to as “sunglasses on steroids” had generated $348,449 as of Sept. 12. Kickstarter is a website that allows individuals to contribute money for start-up projects.
The Rockport man states in the lawsuit that he and Kreutzig have been close personal friends for more than 50 years and that he served as an adviser to Kreutzig’s business for many years. The suit specifies that Kreutzig owns Spectrum Technologies International Ltd., which manufactures high-tech filters for eyewear, weapon sights, laptops and other military equipment.
For the past 10 years, Galley said he has tried to convince Kreutzig to use the technology from the Illinois-based business to create a consumer product. Galley added that since the fall of 2013 he has been in discussions with his friend to market sunglasses using the technology.
The lawsuit indicates that Galley took courses to help market the product and discussed by email and telephone a business agreement in which Kreutzig would manufacture the sunglasses, Galley would market them and the two of them would split the profits evenly.
The Illinois man reimbursed Galley for the courses, according to the lawsuit.
Galley said that based on the prior discussions and the 50-50 profit-sharing proposal, he attended further workshops and made financial investments. Kreutzig never objected to the business plan submitted to him, Galley states in his lawsuit.
In September 2014, Kreutzig insisted on owning 100 percent of the new business, Galley’s lawsuit alleges. A month later, however, Kreutzig disavowed all relationships with Galley and said he had no interest in the consumer eyeglass business, according to Galley’s suit.
This is a breach of the agreement they had, Galley maintains, and states that based on the rate of sales of the sunglasses through the Kickstarter program, the parties have both lost more than $32.8 million in profits over the next 13 years.
The lawsuit asks the court to issue an injunction that would prevent Kreutzig from claiming ownership of Galley’s interest in the sunglasses and to order the manufacturing of the product.
Galley is represented by attorney Dana Strout of Rockport.
Kreutzig said Tuesday morning when contacted by telephone that he was unaware of the lawsuit and thus could not comment on the matter. He declined to comment further.