Author Archives: rtushnet

“dishwasher safe” wasn’t too ambiguous to deceive where cutlery was top-rack only

Posted on June 24, 2026 by rtushnet

Simpson v. Walgreen Co., — F.Supp.3d —-, 2026 WL 413565, No. 23-cv-16465 (N.D. Ill. Feb. 13, 2026) Simpson bought Walgreens’ Complete Home Heavy Duty (Complete Home) plastic cutlery. The front and back of the product were labeled “DISHWASHER SAFE” and … Continue reading →

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We need federal anti-SLAPP law: Scientist wins summary judgment on Splenda’s defamation & related claims

Posted on June 24, 2026 by rtushnet

TC Heartland LLC v. Schiffman, 2026 WL 1785093, No. 1:23-CV-665 (M.D.N.C. Jun. 22, 2026) In a time of rising authoritarianism, it’s not that surprising seeing companies following the lead of Trump, Musk, and the like in suing their critics whose … Continue reading →

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PediaSure “growth” claims might communicate height gain, but price premium theory fails

Posted on June 8, 2026 by rtushnet

Noriega v. Abbott Labs., 2026 WL 1601501, No. 23 Civ. 4014 (PAE) (S.D.N.Y. Jun. 4, 2026) Conventional wisdom is that certification is the ballgame for consumer class actions, but it might be empirically mistaken. This case is an example where … Continue reading →

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6th Circuit approves of using (at least) same similarity standard for dilution as for confusion

Posted on June 8, 2026 by rtushnet

Scotts Co. v. Procter & Gamble Co., 2026 WL 1601797, No. 25-3555 (6th Cir. Jun. 4, 2026) Discussion of trade dress opinion here. False advertising claim here. The district court didn’t abuse its discretion in denying a preliminary injunction against … Continue reading →

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Promoting Progress part 2 at AU WCL

Posted on June 5, 2026 by rtushnet

Framing the Public Interest Agenda – Beyond the Narrative of “Content vs. Tech” Framing Digital Consumer Rights US experience is v different from rest of world—want to support the int’l discussion keeping that in mind. US libraries are ubiquitous, 122,000 … Continue reading →

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Promoting Progress: 50 Years of the Copyright Act from the Perspective of the Public Interest

Posted on June 5, 2026 by rtushnet

AU Washington College of Law, Program on Information Justice & Intellectual Property Chatham House rules. Opening discussion: The Role of the Public Interest in Framing the Copyright Act of 1976 AI is sucking all the air out of © discussion … Continue reading →

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Second Annual Aspiring Free Speech Scholars Workshop

Posted on June 4, 2026 by rtushnet

jointly sponsored by the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law (ASU)and the Hoover Institution (Stanford University) Because of a technical problem, any submissions before June 4, 2026 were lost; please resubmit (or submit for the first time) at the new … Continue reading →

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court allows TM and false advertising claims against “toxic backlink” SEO disparagement campaign (SEM, for minimization?)

Posted on June 4, 2026 by rtushnet

Montway LLC v. Nexus AT LLC, 2026 WL 1552185, No. 25 C 13100, No. 26 C 1056 (N.D. Ill. Jun. 2, 2026) Although the UCL unfair competition claims got kicked out, federal trademark and false advertising claims survive in this … Continue reading →

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Instagram disparagement by alleged competitor isn’t commercial speech

Posted on June 4, 2026 by rtushnet

Farina v. Omari, No. 24-11098 (SDW) (AME), 2026 WL 1552256 (D.N.J. Jun. 2, 2026) The court grants a motion to dismiss in this defamation/false advertising claim centered on online videos. “Farina is a consultant in the aesthetic surgery industry and … Continue reading →

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Reading list: Deception wins at the Federal Circuit

Posted on June 2, 2026 by rtushnet

 “A doctrine that was meant to deter deception thus rewards its most sophisticated form: technically accurate fragments presented as universal facts.” This student article shows how the Federal Circuit allowed two layers of deceptive advertising: advertising results from p-hacking, without … Continue reading →

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