Tag Archives: trademark

comparison charts could infringe, but properly labeled internal search didn’t

Posted on January 3, 2024 by rtushnet

Penn Engineering & Manufacturing Corp. v. Peninsula Components, Inc., 2023 WL 9051998, No. 19-513 (E.D. Pa. Dec. 28, 2023) Penn Engineering designs and manufactures various types of fasteners sold under various trademarks, and alleged that Peninsula sold identical fasteners while … Continue reading →

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reseller’s unsuccessful challenge to takedown notices leads to more successful infringement counterclaim

Posted on December 20, 2023 by rtushnet

CDC Newburgh Inc. v. STM Bags, LLC, — F.Supp.3d —-, 2023 WL 6066136, 22-cv-1597 (NSR) (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 18, 2023) CDC sued STM, alleging violations of New York state and federal law arising from STM’s involvement in the removal of ten … Continue reading →

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Using dominant competitor’s part names/numbers for comparison isn’t false advertising, TM infringement, or (c) infringement

Posted on December 18, 2023 by rtushnet

There really should be a fee shift when a competitor harasses another competitor for daring to make comparisons of part numbers, but we don’t seem to live in that world.  Simpson Strong-Tie Co. v. Mitek Inc., 2023 WL 8697700, No. … Continue reading →

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Amicus brief on applying the Lanham Act to political speech post-JDI

Posted on December 6, 2023 by rtushnet

 In support of neither party. from Blogger http://tushnet.blogspot.com/2023/12/amicus-brief-on-applying-lanham-act-to.html

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Nominative fair use: when a logo is not too much

Posted on November 15, 2023 by rtushnet

It may well be true that nominative fair use often entails just using a word, not a logo, but courts occasionally recognize that there are situations where the logo/trade dress is actually an important means of communicating and should still … Continue reading →

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Artistic Expression or Crass Commercialism? Drawing the lines in Right of Publicity, Lanham Act, and Commercial Speech Cases

Posted on November 8, 2023 by rtushnet

PLI Media Law conference RT: There’s been a rapid and somewhat disorienting shift from a seemingly ever-growing First Amendment freedom of speech to a seeming indifference to speech and press based claims (as contrasted to religious freedom claims) in many … Continue reading →

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What’s next after Elster?

Posted on November 3, 2023 by rtushnet

UNH symposium: Section Two Small Panel III – What’s Next? Moderated by Peter Karol, UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law RT: Organized my remarks in response to the oral arguments in Elster, hopefully not too repetitive. Strong job by gov’t … Continue reading →

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Old Bay or 420 Bud?

Posted on October 24, 2023 by rtushnet

 This sticker doesn’t seem particularly likely to confuse to me, and dilution is bunk: from Blogger http://tushnet.blogspot.com/2023/10/old-bay-or-420-bud.html

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TM co-owner can’t challenge uses authorized by other co-owners (bonus Lexmark reasoning)

Posted on October 24, 2023 by rtushnet

Reed v. Marshall, 2023 WL 6963661, No. H-21-3942 (S.D. Tex. Oct. 20, 2023) In 1991, Reed and defendants Marshall and Harris formed the recording group Jade, and in 1992 they signed an exclusive recording agreement with a now-defunct label, Giant. … Continue reading →

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TM and takings claims against Puerto Rico fail: license plates/tags aren’t use in commerce

Posted on October 11, 2023 by rtushnet

Clemente Properties, Inc. v. Urrutia, No. 22-1373 (GMM), 2023 WL 6201397, — F. Supp. 3d — (D.P.R. Sept. 22, 2023) Plaintiffs own Roberto Clemente’s IP rights and a registration for ROBERTO CLEMENTE for “figurines, statues and statuettes made of non-precious … Continue reading →

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