SeaWorld Orlando’s Pipeline ‘Surf Coaster’ Spurs Patent Suit

The company behind SeaWorld Orlando’s Pipeline ride faces a lawsuit alleging what’s touted as the “first ‘wave-jumping’” roller coaster infringes a patent held by a Dutch manufacturer that’s provided theme-park attractions for Disney, Universal, and Six Flags.

Vekoma Rides Engineering BV said Pipeline: The Surf Coaster,” made by Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers Inc., infringes US Patent No. 7,987,793, according to a complaint filed Wednesday in the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

• The ‘793 patent, which Bloomberg Law estimates will expire in March 2027, covers an amusement ride designed to let ...