Lovelace v. RPM Ecosystems Ithaca, LLC

Cross appeals from an order of the Supreme Court (Rumsey, J.), entered March 17, 2014 in Tompkins County, which, among other things, granted defendants’ motion to vacate a default judgment entered against them.

In 2005, plaintiffs, tree farmers based in Missouri, entered into an agreement with defendants Marvin G. Marshall and Patricia J. Marshall to develop and market technology known as the Root Production Method (hereinafter RPM), created to accelerate tree growth. As part of this agreement, plaintiffs agreed to transfer the intellectual property to an entity that, consequently, would then…