Gadget maker OXO turns cleverly-designed table on competitor's copycat claim

Quirky, a collective for inventors of clever household gadgets, recently accused OXO of ripping off one of its popular designs, the Broom Groomer, whose toothed dustbin may be used to strip the brush of debris.

It turns out, however, that the design was patented almost a century ago. OXO's detailed description of the design's history—which includes a winking comparison between longtime OXO products and some of Quirky's own recent variations—turned the table with class and style. [OXO and Quirky via Gizmodo]