Tag Archives: trademark

Dastar bars Lanham Act claims against unauthorized copying of photo for album cover

Posted on August 27, 2019 by rtushnet

Patterson v. Diggs, No. 18-CV-03142 (NSR), 2019 WL 3996493 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 23, 2019) Patterson is “an internationally known photographer” who took photos of “a nickel-silver casing created by nonparty Moroccan company Yahya Creation” without a written contract and without being … Continue reading →

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conventional pharmacy achieves limited relief against marijuana dispensary

Posted on August 27, 2019 by rtushnet

White Hall Pharmacy LLC v. Doctor’s Orders RX Inc, No. 19-cv-00366-KGB, 2019 WL 3939357 (E.D. Ark. Aug. 20, 2019) In this cannabis case, the court granted a preliminary injunction against a dispensary.  White Hall operates two pharmacies under the trade … Continue reading →

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District court makes up a new, worse test for TM claims against noncommercial speech

Posted on August 26, 2019 by rtushnet

Stouffer v. Nat’l Geographic Partners, LLC, 2019 WL 3935180, No. 18-cv-3127-WJM-SKC (D. Colo. Aug. 20, 2019) Stouffer, who (with his coplaintiff production company and his brother, who is not a plaintiff) produced the Wild America nature documentary series, sued National … Continue reading →

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Weight Watchers competitor wins dismissal of TM claims over “millennials are calling [it] Weight Watchers 2.0” ad

Posted on August 23, 2019 by rtushnet

Weight Watchers Int’l, Inc. v. Noom, Inc., 2019 WL 3890139, No. 18-cv-9637 (PKC) (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 19, 2019) Noom markets “weight-loss services based on nutrition and lifestyle advice dispensed through a mobile app.” It ran some ads that mentioned Weight Watchers. … Continue reading →

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Rogers question: could this art be explicitly misleading?

Posted on August 16, 2019 by rtushnet

One reason that Gordon v. Drape Creative is so concerning is that it reads “explicit” to be something other than explicit–maybe a version of falsity by necessary implication, but one that wants to pose transformativeness as the thing that avoids explicit … Continue reading →

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Bobby Brown’s failed ROP claim shows some of the cracks in the current ROP tests

Posted on August 15, 2019 by rtushnet

Brown v. Showtime Networks, Inc., No. 18 Civ. 11078 (CM) (JLC), 2019 BL 290214 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 02, 2019) Bobby Brown and the Estate of Bobbi Kristina Brown sued Showtime and the BBC (which got out of the case on jurisdictional … Continue reading →

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IPSC: Closing Plenary

Posted on August 10, 2019 by rtushnet

Stephanie Plamondon Bair, Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School Innovation’s Paradox Innovation begets innovation in a virtuous cycle … at least sometimes. Not all innovations are productive, which is fine; it’s trial and error. But some innovations may … Continue reading →

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IPSC: Trademark Doctrine

Posted on August 9, 2019 by rtushnet

Jorge Contreras, University of Utah SJ Quinney College of Law Sui-Genericide 1940s: Proprietary Ass’n & AMA opposed foreign registrations of common drug names (ANTACID, VITAMIN, etc.). Late 40s-80s: DOC generic word program: words submitted by firms to INTA’s predecessor, then … Continue reading →

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on 12(b)(6), court holds that “blockchain” could be distinctive for one co’s digital wallets

Posted on August 9, 2019 by rtushnet

Blockchain Luxembourg S.A. v. Paymium, SAS, No. 18 Civ. 8612 (GBD) (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 7, 2019) The Second Circuit really doesn’t want to kick out trademark claims early.  I can easily imagine a court in the Seventh Circuit using the flexibility … Continue reading →

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Duck, duck, noninfringement: TM and (c) claims over distinct duck designs fail

Posted on July 23, 2019 by rtushnet

Great American Duck Races Inc. v. Kangaroo Mf’g Inc., No. CV-17-00212-PHX-ROS (D. Ariz. Jul. 19, 2019) Despite some bad reasoning equating intent to compete with (relevant) intent to confuse, the court rejects bad copyright and trademark claims based on the … Continue reading →

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