Tag Archives: false advertising

Venable on notable NAD product name ruling

Posted on July 6, 2015 by rtushnet

Amy Mudge and Randall Shaheen explain the NAD’s take on product names: if you put two terms together, as in “Nourishing Coconut Shampoo,” the ingredient has to provide the benefit.  If not, it has to be called “Nourishing Shampoo with … Continue reading →

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UK ad regulator disapproves of negative puffery

Posted on July 1, 2015 by rtushnet

One big difference between the US and the EU in comparative advertising is that what we would consider negative puffery, like “overpriced,” the EU bans as not sufficiently objective.  In this ASA adjudication, the advertiser both ran a review site … Continue reading →

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Trademark scholars roundtable: the consumer in different contexts

Posted on June 30, 2015 by rtushnet

Session 3:  The Consumer in Different Trade Mark Contexts Do the questions that we have looked at in the first two sessions vary in different trademark and adjacent contexts? Is assessment of the reaction of the average consumer in trade … Continue reading →

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Fourth Circuit destroys literal falsity

Posted on June 30, 2015 by rtushnet

In re GNC Corp., — F.3d –, 2015 WL 3798174 (4th Cir. June 19, 2015)   Well, this is a terrible opinion that makes no sense.  In the Fourth Circuit, if reasonable experts disagree, it’s now impossible for one to … Continue reading →

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Ninth Circuit rejects class certification because ads differed

Posted on June 29, 2015 by rtushnet

Cabral v. Supple LLC, — Fed.Appx. —-, 2015 WL 3855142, No. 13–55943 (9th Cir. June 23, 2015)   The court of appeals vacated the certification of a class of purchasers of a dietary supplement. The certified class was “[a]ll persons … Continue reading →

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claim of “improved” version of competitor’s product not likely to confuse

Posted on June 29, 2015 by rtushnet

Arborjet, Inc. v. Rainbow Treecare Scientific Advancements, Inc., 63 F.Supp.3d 149 (D. Mass. 2014)   Arborjet sued Rainbow over an alleged breach of a sales agency agreement and won a preliminary injunction.  Arborjet makes insect and pest control products for … Continue reading →

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Reading list: advertising atypical results

Posted on June 22, 2015 by rtushnet

Ahmed E. Taha, Selling the Outlier, forthcoming in the Journal of Corporation Law. Via Public Citizen.   Advertisements for products ranging from weight-loss programs to mutual funds regularly feature the results of people who have used the product.  However, these … Continue reading →

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False patent marking not actionable under Lanham Act

Posted on June 17, 2015 by rtushnet

Leisure Concepts, Inc. v. California Home Spas, Inc., 2015 WL 3658190, No. 14–CV–388 (E.D. Wash. June 12, 2015)   Leisure and CHS compete in spa products, including spa cover lifters.  Leisure’s CoverMate I is protected by a patent, which it … Continue reading →

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Court certifies class against JCPenney for allegedly false “sales”

Posted on June 12, 2015 by rtushnet

Spann v. J.C. Penney Corp., 2015 WL 3478038, No. CV 12–0215 (C.D. Cal. May 18, 2015)   Spann sued JCP, bringing the usual California claims, for allegedly “falsely advertising ‘original’ prices, ‘sale’ prices and corresponding price discounts for its private … Continue reading →

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violation of labeling law is presumptively material and deceptive

Posted on June 11, 2015 by rtushnet

Brown v. Hain Celestial Group, Inc., 2015 WL 3398415, No. 11-cv-03082 (N.D. Cal. May 26, 2015) (magistrate judge)   Plaintiffs sued Hain for selling cosmetics whose front labels used the word “organic,” but that did not contain at least 70% … Continue reading →

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