Category Archives: Uncategorized

Lanham Act claim based on patent threats fails even with invalidation of the patent

American Fireglass v. Moderustic, Inc., — F.Supp.3d —-, 2019 WL 1227963, No. 15-CV-2866 JLS (BGS) (S.D. Cal. Mar. 15, 2019) The parties compete in the market for pieces of broken tempered glass for use in fireplaces and fire pits (Moderustic … Continue reading →

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commercial speech requirement defeats Lanham Act claim against competing news channel

Tang v. Guo, No. 17 Civ. 9031 (JFK), 2019 WL 1207859 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 14, 2019) Plaintiff Tang is a political activist, author, and “one of the leading Chinese political dissidents.” He currently runs two pro-democracy nonprofit organizations and co-founded the … Continue reading →

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Expedia’s “sold out” labels and diversionary phone numbers for hotels lead to class certification

Buckeye Tree Lodge & Sequoia Village Inn, LLC v. Expedia, Inc., No. 16-cv-04721-VC, 2019 WL 1170489 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 13, 2019) Really interesting false advertising class action, with a smaller-than-plaintiffs-wanted class of hotels certified against Expedia, which offers hotel bookings … Continue reading →

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consumer successfully pleads falsity for “weight management” supplement

Nathan v. Vitamin Shoppe, Inc., 2019 WL 1200554, No. 17-cv-01590-BEN-KSC (S.D. Cal. Mar. 12, 2019) Vitamin Shoppe sells Garcinia Cambogia Extract with a label promising “Weight Management” and “Appetite Control.” Nathan alleged that this was false and misleading, since GCE … Continue reading →

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mere market participation insufficient to allege standing in noncomparative advertising case

AAVN, Inc. v. Westpoint Home, Inc., 2019 WL 1168102, No. 17-CV-8329 (N.D. Ill. Mar. 13, 2019) AAVN sells woven textile fabrics, including fabrics made from a cotton-polyester blend. AAVN’s president owns patents that teach a method of manufacturing a cotton-polyester … Continue reading →

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misrepresentation that OSHA rules required certain tools was literally false

Louisiana-Pacific Corp. v. James Hardie Building Products Inc., 2018 WL 7272047, No. 18-cv-00447-JPM (M.D. Tenn. Dec. 20, 2018) “This is an unfair trade practices action between two fierce competitors in the residential and multi-family home siding market.” Defendant JH is … Continue reading →

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can a retailer be directly liable for false advertising on packages?

two cases (out of several involving this plaintiff) Outlaw Laboratory, LP v. Shenoor Enterprise, Inc., 2019 WL 1040644, No. 18-CV-2299-B (N.D. Tex. Mar. 4, 2019) Outlaw, which makes male dietary supplements, sued convenience stores because they “advertise and offer for … Continue reading →

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unauthorized use of model’s photo for strip club wasn’t false advertising or endorsement

Edmondson v. 2001 Live, Inc., 2019 WL 670201, No. 16-cv-03243-T-17AEP (M.D. Fla. Jan. 15, 2019) Edmondson, a model and public figure, sued for the alleged commercial misappropriation of her image used on 2001 Live’s social media account promoting its “gentleman’s” … Continue reading →

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occasional door-to-door false claims covered by state, but not federal, false advertising law

Vivint, Inc. v. Northstar Alarm Services, LLC, a Utah limited liability company, 2019 WL 1098986, No. 16-cv-00106-JNP-EJF (D. Utah Mar. 8, 2019) The parties compete in the market for electronic home automation and security systems. They market themselves in various … Continue reading →

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occasional door-to-door false claims covered by state, but not federal, false advertising law

Vivint, Inc. v. Northstar Alarm Services, LLC, a Utah limited liability company, 2019 WL 1098986, No. 16-cv-00106-JNP-EJF (D. Utah Mar. 8, 2019) The parties compete in the market for electronic home automation and security systems. They market themselves in various … Continue reading →

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