The flameless candle was born of inspiration at Disney's Magic Kingdom, to provide eerie lighting effects for the popular Haunted Mansion attraction.
More than a decade later, flameless candle technology is the subject of a bitter legal marathon in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, as an Eden Prairie-based distributor goes toe to toe with a Chinese manufacturer of the home decor phenomenon.
While no one knows the exact size of the flameless candle market, millions of dollars in potential sales are at stake. The product has been displayed at retailers such as Restoration Hardware, Bed Bath & Beyond, Williams-Sonoma and Kohl's.
"It's definitely a growing market," said Julie McCallum, editor in chief of Gift Shop Magazine, a retail industry trade journal. "We were just at the International Housewares Association trade show in Chicago and flameless candles were huge."
Which explains why the Eden Prairie company, Luminara, is in a heated dispute with China's Liown Electronics.
The trail of lawsuits filed by the two companies over the last three years includes allegations of threats to customers and potential customers, predatory pricing and outright deceit.
The two sides have retained top Minneapolis legal talent. Liown is represented by the firm of Winthrop & Weinstine; Luminara is the client of Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie.
Adding to the legal drama is the fact that Luminara and Liown were once briefly business partners.