HOLLAND — Haworth Inc. has filed legal action against a California-based office furniture manufacturer that it says violated design patents for its Very Side chairs.

In court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan earlier this month, Haworth alleges that Cypress, Calif.-based Exemplis Corp., which does business as SitOnIt Seating, “intentionally designed” its Rio task chair to resemble the Very Side chair. [Click here to see SitOnIt Seating’s Rio chair.]

Haworth claims those actions in marketing the similar chair have “irreparably harmed” the company, according to court documents.

The Holland-based office furniture maker has manufactured the Very Side product for about six years.

Haworth issued the lawsuit on Jan. 6 after an earlier written notice failed to persuade Exemplis to discontinue manufacturing its Rio chairs.