Tag Archives: false association

license agreement termination might be invalid transfer in gross without a new partner for licensor

Posted on December 17, 2025 by rtushnet

Form Portfolios LLC v. Food52, Inc., 2025 WL 3638165, No. 24-cv-07690 (NCM) (CLP) (E.D.N.Y. Dec. 16, 2025) Form designs consumer products, partnering with other companies that license those designs. Food52 sells cookware and other homegoods under the brand Dansk. This … Continue reading →

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wrongfully claiming Amazon ASIN might be false advertising, even with foreign TM rights

Posted on December 5, 2025 by rtushnet

Best Glide Aviation Survival Equipment, Inc. v. Tag-Z, LLC, No. 1-23-cv-1080-DAE, 2025 WL 3454210 (W.D. Tex. Aug. 20, 2025) This case involves an alleged abuse of Amazon’s system to keep out legitimate competitors. Amazon is so big it can help … Continue reading →

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Landing page that misdirected searchers away from real senior living community was plausibly false advertising

Posted on November 17, 2025 by rtushnet

Cedar Communities at Commerce, LLC v. Caring, LLC, 2025 WL 3187288, No. 1:25-CV-00922-JPB (N.D. Ga. Nov. 14, 2025) Caring operates a web-based senior living placement and referral service, touting “the longest-running, highest-integrity senior living review program on the web, all … Continue reading →

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court finds advertising injury insurance coverage in false association case despite consumer fraud and other exclusions

Posted on July 25, 2025 by rtushnet

Illinois Casualty Co. v. Kladek, Inc., No. 22-3214 (DWF/DJF), 2025 WL 2071043 (D. Minn. Jul. 23, 2025) ICC sought declaratory judgment that it didn’t have to defend (or indemnify) its insured in a Lanham Act false association lawsuit brought by … Continue reading →

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alleged use of competitor’s corporate “persona” didn’t cause actionable confusion

Posted on July 24, 2025 by rtushnet

SME Steel Contractors, Inc. v. Seismic Bracing Co., LLC, No. 2023-2426, 2025 WL 2057365 (Fed. Cir. Jul. 23, 2025) Discussion of previous district court opinion here. Because a patent is involved, the appeal on all issues goes to the Federal … Continue reading →

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AI voice cloning opinion narrows claims to ROP, rejecting TM and (most) copyright theories

Posted on July 21, 2025 by rtushnet

Lehrman v. Lovo, Inc., — F.Supp.3d —-, 2025 WL 1902547, 24-CV-3770 (JPO) (S.D.N.Y. Jul. 10, 2025) Plaintiffs alleged that Lovo misled them about its use of their voices, using AI to synthesize and sell unauthorized “clones” of their voices. They … Continue reading →

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competitor’s challenge to use of expired certification marks must go to trial

Posted on June 6, 2025 by rtushnet

FireBlok IP Holdings v. Hilti, Inc., No. 19-cv-50122, 2025 WL 1557924 (N.D. Ill. Jun. 4, 2025) FireBlok sued defendants, relevantly for false advertising and false association. The court denied FireBlok’s motion for summary judgment. FireBlok alleged that defendants’ use of … Continue reading →

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sending emails under former employees’ names may be reverse passing off

Posted on January 3, 2024 by rtushnet

LoanDepot.com, LLC v. CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC, 2023 WL 9022893, No. 22-cv-5971 (AS) (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 29, 2023) loanDepot alleged that CCM, its chief competitor, “improperly poached” 32 employees, and CCM and various former employees. CCM counterclaimed for abuse of process and … Continue reading →

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Amazon escapes liability for its Brand Registry advertising

Posted on October 9, 2023 by rtushnet

Deetsch v. Lei, 2023 WL 6373073, No. 22-cv-1166-RSH-BLM (S.D. Cal. Jul. 21, 2023) Deetsch alleged that he owned design patents for CPAP pillow products, which the Lei defendants infringed. They also allegedly used Deetch’s image in ads and on packaging, … Continue reading →

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odd 2d Circuit case about misleadingness versus confusion

Posted on July 3, 2023 by rtushnet

Gibson v. SCE Gp. Inc., 2023 WL 4229913, No. 22-916 (2d Cir. Jun. 28, 2023) Another models (and one model’s sister) v. nightclubs case. Gibson et al. appealed partial summary judgment against them on on their claims for false endorsement … Continue reading →

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