Monthly Archives: June 2020

misrepresentation of origin was not material and thus not false advertising

Posted on June 8, 2020 by rtushnet

Boshnack v. Widow Jane Distilleries LLC, 2020 WL 3000358, No. 19cv8812 (DLC) (S.D.N.Y. Jun. 4, 2020)  In trademark cases, courts don’t require any materiality showing. That matters. Materiality here defeats the only plausibly pled falsities about Widow Jane’s whiskey, which … Continue reading →

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NOCI to eBay protected against tortious interference claim by Noerr-Pennington, but defamation survives

Posted on June 5, 2020 by rtushnet

Verbena Products LLC v. Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmetique USA, Inc., 2020 WL 2988587, No. 19-23616-Civ-Scola (S.D. Fla. Feb. 28, 2020)  Verbena (aka Beautyvice) sells cosmetic and beauty care products on eBay. Defendant Yellow Brand “is a leading global provider of online … Continue reading →

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Rule 9(b) applies to false advertising Lanham Act claims against SmileDirect

Posted on June 5, 2020 by rtushnet

Ciccio v. SmileDirectClub, LLC, 2020 WL 2850146, No. 19-cv-00845 (M.D. Tenn. Jun. 2, 2020) SmileDirect sells plastic aligners for orthodontic use. Its SmileDirect program uses teledentistry as an alternative to conventional orthodontic care. The American Dental Association filed a complaint … Continue reading →

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overstatement of claims in patent case/potential customer liability could be false advertising

Posted on June 5, 2020 by rtushnet

Shure Inc. v. ClearOne, Inc., 2020 WL 2839294, No. 19-1343-RGA-CJB (D. Del. Jun. 1, 2020) (magistrate R&R)  Skipping substantive design patent stuff (sorry, Sarah Burstein). The parties compete in the installed audio-conferencing market and have a history of litigation, including … Continue reading →

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Just stocking a falsely advertised product isn’t enough for contributory liability

Posted on June 2, 2020 by rtushnet

In re Outlaw Laboratory, LLP, 2020 WL 2797425, No. 18-CV-0840-GPC (S.D. Cal. May 29, 2020)  Plaintiff makes male enhancement products, allegedly in compliance with the DHSEA. It sued 51 convenience and liquor stores in the San Diego, California area; 23 … Continue reading →

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“Belgium 1926” label on chocolate plausibly indicates current Belgian origin

Posted on June 2, 2020 by rtushnet

Hesse v. Godiva Chocolatier, Inc., 2020 WL 2793014 No. 19-cv-972 (AJN) (S.D.N.Y. May 29, 2020)  The forgiving plausibility standard allows consumer protection claims about Godiva’s use of “Belgium 1926” on its American-made chocolates to continue. The court points out that, … Continue reading →

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“truly tiny” disclaimer at bottom of website didn’t prevent factual issue on misleadingness

Posted on June 2, 2020 by rtushnet

Lemberg Law, LLC v. eGeneration Marketing, Inc., 2020 WL 2813177, No. 18-cv-570 (CSH) (D. Conn. May 29, 2020) Lemberg sued eGeneration for running stopcollections.org, a site engaged in “matching lawyers who focus their practice on filing claims under the federal … Continue reading →

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Copyright preempts/Dastar precludes lawsuit based on Fortnite’s copying of a dance move

Posted on June 1, 2020 by rtushnet

Brantley v. Epic Games, Inc., No. v. 19-cv-594-PWG (D. Md. May 29, 2020)  Plaintiffs Brantley and Nickens alleged that in 2016 they created, named, and popularized a dance move, which they titled the “Running Man,” and which subsequently went viral … Continue reading →

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