Tag Archives: false advertising

Outlet sales of outlet-only clothes under brand name aren’t inherently deceptive

Rubenstein v. The Gap, Inc., — Cal.Rptr.3d —-, No. B272356, 2017 WL 3634212 (Ct. App. Aug. 24, 2017) The court affirmed the trial court’s dismissal of a claim against the Gap for selling lesser-quality products at its Gap and Banana … Continue reading

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Comparison to former licensor’s products isn’t trademark infringement

Alpha Pro Tech, Inc. v. VWR Int’l, LLC, No. 12-1615, 2017 WL 3671264 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 23, 2017) APT sued VWR, a competitor in the market for nonwoven, disposable laboratory apparel for use in clean rooms and similar environments. VWR … Continue reading

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“100% grated parmesan cheese” doesn’t have to be all cheese, court rules

In re: 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese Marketing & Sales Practices Litig., 2017 WL 3642076, No. 16 C 5802, MDL 2705 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 24, 2017) Ah, implicature, how I wish judges understood you.  A product labeled “100% Grated Parmesan Cheese” … Continue reading

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Advertising question of the day: Honeycrisp or honey crisp?

Assuming this alcoholic beverage is not made from honeycrisp apples–but that it does contain honey–would the product name be false or misleading?  H/T Adam Levitin.  Note that the manufacturer doesn’t disclose the apple variety one way or another, as far … Continue reading

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Plaintiff can’t win false advertising claim because there’s evidence on both sides

Korolshteyn v. Costco Wholesale Corp., No. 15-cv-709, 2017 WL 3622226 (S.D. Cal. Aug. 23, 2017) Ugh. Costco’s TruNature Gingko labels represent that the product “supports alertness & memory,” that “Gingko biloba can help with mental clarity and memory,” and that … Continue reading

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4th Cir. holds certification nonprofit’s self-promotion to retailers is commercial speech

Handsome Brook Farm, LLC v. Humane Farm Animal Care, Inc., No. 16-1813, 2017 WL 3601506, — F. Appx. – (4th Cir. Aug. 22, 2017) The court of appeals affirmed the district court ruling that a nonprofit egg certifier’s disparagement of … Continue reading

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Bad dilution claims are so common that they aren’t “exceptional” for fee-shifting, court rules

Parks, LLC v. Tyson Foods, Inc., 2017 WL 3534993, No. 15-cv-00946 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 17, 2017) Tyson sought attorneys’ fees in this Lanham Act case after its summary judgment victory was affirmed by the Third Circuit. The court found that … Continue reading

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reading list: Willis on remedies for consumer fraud

Lauren E. Willis, Performance-Based Remedies: Ordering Firms to Eradicate Their Own Fraud, 80 Law and Contemporary Problems 7-41 (2017) Abstract In resolving cases of unfair, abusive, and deceptive acts and practices, consumer protection enforcement agencies often prospectively dictate—in great detail—the … Continue reading

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taking customer list as conversion; false claims of official investigation as false advertising

Yeti Enters. Inc. v. Tang, 2017 WL 3478484, No. 13-cv-01203 (D. Or. Aug. 14, 2017) This is a tangled story that illustrates how false advertising claims can arise from failed business agreements.  Plaintiff NPK sued Nicholas Jackson and Jessica Lilga … Continue reading

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When state consumer protection is narrower than federal

Natreon, Inc. v. Ixoreal Biomed, Inc., 2017 WL 3131975, No. 16-4735 (D.N.J. Jul. 21, 2017) Natron sued defendant/counterclaimant/third-party plaintiff SKP and defendant Ixoreal, alleging false advertising and unfair competition in connection with an extract used in holistic and alternative medicines: … Continue reading

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