Category Archives: Intellectual Property

Indiana Copyright Litigation Update – Ellsworth v. Mission 22

04 Monday Jan 2016

Posted by in Artists, Copyright, Indiana, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Southern District of Indiana

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Defendant is alleged to have created an unauthorized derivative work – a sculpture – based on Plaintiff’s painting of the silhouettes of 22 soldiers and related woodblock prints.

Ellsworth v. Mission 22 AKA Elder Heart Inc.

Court Case Number: 1:15-cv-02031-TWP-TAB
File Date: Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Plaintiff: Angela Ellsworth
Plaintiff Counsel: Thomas A. Herr, Jeremy N. Gayed of Barrett McNagny LLP
Defendant: Mission 22 AKA Elder Heart Inc.
Cause: Copyright Infringement
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Tanya Walton Pratt
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Tim A. Baker

Complaint:

Exhibit A:

Exhibit E:

Indiana Trademark Litigation Update – Indiana Botanic Gardens v. Vitalmax Vitamins

21 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by in Indiana, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Northern District of Indiana, Trademark

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This trademark dispute involves the ACCU HEAR and ACCU-HEAR trademarks, both used in connection with nutritional supplements.

Screenshot from Complaint

Indiana Botanic Gardens, Inc. v. Almark Products, Inc d/b/a Vitalmax Vitamins

Court Case Number: 2:15-cv-00457-JVB-APR
File Date: Friday, December 18, 2015
Plaintiff: Indiana Botanic Gardens, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: David C. Brezina, Boris Umansky of Ladas & Parry LLP
Defendant: Almark Products, Inc d/b/a Vitalmax Vitamins
Cause: Federal Trademark Infringement, Federal Unfair Competition
Court: Northern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Andrew P. Rodovich

Complaint:

Indiana Trade Dress Litigation Update – Forest River v. Winnebago Industries

19 Saturday Dec 2015

Posted by in Indiana, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Southern District of Indiana, Trade Dress, Trademark

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This lawsuit involves the popular RPOD travel trailer, sold by Plaintiff since 2009, and an allegedly infringing DROP trailer, sold by Defendant since September 2015.

It will be interesting to see what trade dress rights can be protected for a small travel trailer. Importantly, trade dress cannot be functional. Specifically, the Complaint references “the exterior shape, the total visual image, the interior layout, interior fabric patterns and colors, and model numbers.”

RPOD Complaint Comparison

Forest River Inc v. Winnebago Industries Inc et al

Court Case Number: 3:15-cv-00609-RLM-CAN
File Date: Friday, December 18, 2015
Plaintiff: Forest River, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Jonathan P. Froemel, Georgina D. Jenkins of Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Defendant: Winnebago Industries, Inc., Winnebago of Indiana, LLC
Cause: Federal Trademark Infringement, Federal Trade Dress Infringement, Federal Unfair Competition, False Designation of Origin, False and Misleading Representations, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Common Law Trade Dress Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr.
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein

Complaint:

Indiana Trademark Litigation Update – All Star Heating & Cooling v. All Star Air

10 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by in Intellectual Property

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Defendant’s use of “All Star Air” has allegedly caused instances of actual confusion (“in the form of misled customers and confused vendors”) with Plaintiff’s trademark, All Star Heating & Cooling. Both parties provide heating, ventilation and air conditioning services and are located just 30 miles apart.

Defendant never responded to Plaintiff’s demand letters, hence this lawsuit.

All Star Heating & Cooling, Inc. v. Quality Heating and Air Inc. d/b/a All Star Air, and Richard Cusick

Court Case Number: 1:15-cv-01941-WTL-DKL
File Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Plaintiff: All Star Heating & Cooling, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Nicholas E. Plopper of Plopper & Partners, LLP
Defendant: Quality Heating and Air Inc. d/b/a All Star Air, Richard Cusick
Cause: Federal Unfair Competition, State and Common Law Trademark Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge William T. Lawrence
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Denise K. LaRue

Complaint:

Indiana Copyright Litigation Update – Brick Shirt House v. Indiana On Tap

07 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by in Artists, Copyright, Indiana, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Southern District of Indiana

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The Brick Shirt House, LLC v. Indiana On Tap, LLC

Court Case Number: 1:15-cv-01919-TWP-DKL
File Date: Friday, December 4, 2015
Plaintiff: The Brick Shirt House, LLC
Plaintiff Counsel: Andrea Lynn Ciobanu, Alex Maurice Beeman of Ciobanu Law
Defendant: Indiana On Tap, LLC
Cause: Copyright Infringement
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Tanya Walton Pratt
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Denise K. LaRue

Complaint:

Brick Shirt HouseOld Indiana On Tap Logo