Lawsuit over home design plans could be headed to mediation

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A Muskego company’s federal lawsuit sparked by allegedly stolen home design plans could start mediation April 30.

Burback Builders LLC last year sued Rodney and Carol Bruno, Kansasville-based Haven Creek Homes and Amherst-based Blenker Building Systems Inc.

Burback claimed the Brunos stole design plans in 2011 for a Burlington home and had Haven Creek build it for them with Blenker’s help. Burback registered the plans with the U.S. Copyright Office in June and filed the copyright infringement lawsuit in August.

Haven Creek has maintained it did not violate copyright, because it only used the plans for the Brunos’ home, which was the plans’ intended use.

The home was finished after Burback filed the lawsuit.

Attorneys for Burback and Haven Creek have said their clients want to avoid a trial. According to a March 13 order, U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Joseph will attempt to broker an agreement April 30.

Before that date the parties will swap written statements of what they want the agreement to include. If no one objects to any of those terms, according to the order, they are allowed to settle the case without Joseph’s help.