Category Archives: Litigation

Indiana Trademark Litigation Update – Barrington Music Products v. Guitar Center Stores

08 Friday Jan 2016

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

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This trademark dispute involves Plaintiff’s registered VENTO trademark and an allegedly infringing VENTUS mark, both used in connection with wind instruments.

Barrington Music Products Inc v. Guitar Center Stores, Inc. et al

Court Case Number: 1:15-cv-02031-TWP-TAB
File Date: Thursday, January 7, 2016
Plaintiff: Barrington Music Products
Plaintiff Counsel: John D. LaDue, Sean J. Quinn of LaDue | Curran | Kuehn
Defendant: Music & Arts Centers, Guitar Center Stores, Inc., Eastman Music Company
Cause: Federal Trademark Infringement, Federal Unfair Competition, False Designation of Origin, Federal Trademark Dilution, Trade Name Infringement under Indiana Common Law, Passing Off
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr.
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein

Complaint:

Piston Ring Manufacturers Litigate Alleged Violation of Nondisclosure Agreement

05 Tuesday Jan 2016

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

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Precision Rings, Inc. v. Wrightspeed, Inc.

Court Case Number:1:15-cv-01957-SEB-DML
File Date: Friday, December 11, 2015
Plaintiff: Precision Rings, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: George A. Gasper, Mark R. Alson of Ice Miller LLP
Defendant: Wrightspeed, Inc.
Cause: Declaratory Judgment, Injunctive Relief, Breach of Contract
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Sarah Evans Barker
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Debra McVicker Lynch

Complaint:

Defendant’s Brief in Support of Rule 12(b)(6) Motion to Dismiss:

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: