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Indiana Intellectual Property Blog

~ Trademark and Copyright Law Updates in Indiana

Indiana Intellectual Property Blog

Category Archives: Northern District of Indiana

Northern Indiana Chiropractors fight over “Legacy” Trademark

13 Tuesday Aug 2024

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

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Cancellation, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition, Damon R. Leichty, Federal Trademark Infringement, Michael G. Gotsch, Unfair Competition and Deceptive Trademark Practices, Violation of the Federal Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act

A Shipshewana, Indiana-based chiropractor has been operating under the name Legacy Chiropractic since March 2018.

41 miles away, in Warsaw, Indiana, another chiropractor began operating as Legacy Family Chiropractic around March 2020. Prior to opening, the Warsaw chiropractor’s wife had allegedly inquired about purchasing the rights to the name. There was no agreement to sell the name per the Complaint (below), but the Warsaw chiropractor still proceeded with a “Legacy” name.

After 4 years of coexistence, perhaps not always peaceful, a federal trademark application was filed by the Shipshewana chiropractor on July 29, 2024. On the same morning, an Indiana state trademark registration was applied for and obtained by the Warsaw chiropractor, quickly resulting in a few weeks of back-and-forth attorney communications and now a lawsuit in the Northern District of Indiana.

Stay tuned for updates.

Legacy Chiropractic, LLC v. Legacy Family Chiropractic LLC

Court Case Number: 3:24-cv-00668-DRL-MGG
File Date: August 9, 2024
Plaintiff: Legacy Chiropractic, LLC
Plaintiff Counsel: D. Randall Brown, Michael E. Wever of Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Defendant: Legacy Family Chiropractic LLC
Cause: Federal Trademark Infringement, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition, Anti-Cybersquatting, Unfair Competition and Deceptive Trademark Practices, Cancellation of Indiana State Trademark Registration
Court: Northern District of Indiana
Judge: Damon R. Leichty
Referred To: Michael G. Gotsch, Sr.

Complaint:

View this document on Scribd

Forest River sues RV Branding Company Sharpline for Contributory Trademark Infringement

08 Monday Jul 2024

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

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Contributory Trademark Infringement, Damon R. Leichty, Michael G. Gotsch

Forest River recently settled a trademark lawsuit for $2 million against inTech Trailers, a competing RV manufacturer. Apparently not all guilty parties have faced justice, as Forest River has filed a new lawsuit against the company that provided branding services to inTech, Sharpline Converting from Wichita, Kansas (“Sharpline”). Sharpline assists with the production, design and manufacturing of RVs, as well as providing branding services. Unsurprisingly, Sharpline has an office and does significant business in Elkart, Indiana, the RV Capital of the World.

As detailed in the Complaint (below), the same Sharpline employee was secretly providing design services to both Forest River and inTech at the time of the alleged infringement. The Complaint includes a single claim of Contributory Trademark Infringement, asserting that Sharpline should be jointly and severally liable with inTech for the infringement.

Stay tuned to this blog for monthly IP updates with the latest on this lawsuit and all other pending Indiana copyright and trademark lawsuits.

Forest River, Inc. v. Sharpline Converting, Inc.

Court Case Number: 3:24-cv-00541-DRL-MGG
File Date: July 2, 2024
Plaintiff: Forest River, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Philip R. Bautista, JoZeff W. Gebolys, Michael C. Terrell, Tracy N. Betz of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
Defendant: Sharpline Converting, Inc.
Cause: Contributory Trademark Infringement
Court: Northern District of Indiana
Judge: Damon R. Leichty
Referred To: Michael G. Gotsch Sr.

Complaint:

View this document on Scribd

Fort Wayne Dad sued for Copyright Infringement by Christian Nonprofit

05 Friday Jul 2024

Posted by Kenan Farrell in Authors, Bloggers, Copyright, Indiana, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Northern District of Indiana

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Federal Copyright Infringement, Holly A. Brady, Susan L. Collins

The plaintiff in the latest Indiana copyright lawsuit is a privately funded Christian non-profit that provides public school families with released time religious instruction. The defendant, an individual from Fort Wayne, Indiana, is alleged to have posed as a volunteer of plaintiff in order to gain access to internal documents and curriculum, which he then posted to his own website criticizing the nonprofit.

Attempts to “reason” with the defendant were apparently met with a snarky meme response, usually a great way to escalate a legal dispute. The defendant allegedly then made a false DMCA Counter Notice, leading directly to this lawsuit. Stay tuned to find out whether the defendant is willing to defend his position that “it’s called fair use bitch.”

LifeWise, Inc. v. Parrish

Court Case Number: 1:24-cv-00268-HAB-SLC
File Date: July 2, 2024
Plaintiff: LifeWise, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Joseph P. Asbrook, Chris-John Bosch, James S. Kresge of Ashbrook Byrne Kresge LLC
Defendant: Zachary Parrish
Cause: Federal Copyright Infringement
Court: Northern District of Indiana
Judge: Holly A. Brady
Referred To: Susan L. Collins

Complaint:

View this document on Scribd

June 2024 Indiana Intellectual Property Litigation Update

30 Sunday Jun 2024

Posted by Kenan Farrell in Indiana, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana

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It was a mostly quiet month in Indiana Intellectual Property ligation, with just one new lawsuit filed over unauthorized animal supplement sales on Amazon. Read on below for updates on all pending trademark and copyright lawsuits in Indiana. Have a great July.

Forest River, Inc. v. inTech Trailers, Inc. (ND, filed 8/31/2021) – A Supplement to the Plaintiff’s Motion for Attorney fees was filed on June 21, 2024.

Gabet et al. v. Amazon.com. Inc. et al. (ND, filed 1/20/2022) – William A. Ramsey has entered an appearance on behalf of the plaintiffs. A Zoom Status Conference was held on June 24, 2024 and a Telephonic Status Conference is scheduled for July 19, 2024.

The Evolutionary Level Above Human, Inc. v. Havel et al (ND, filed 5/18/2022) – No update this month.

Oakley, Inc. v. Batter’s Box Training, LLC et al (SD, filed 8/11/2022) –  No update this month. The lawsuit is still awaiting the Court’s action on the plaintiff’s Stipulation of Dismissal filed on January 18, 2024.

Honest Abe Roofing franchise, Inc. v. DCH & Associates, LLC et al. (SD, filed 9/7/2022) – No update this month.

The Center for Gestalt Development, Inc. v. Bowman (SD (11/09/2022) – No update this month.

Sak Group, Inc. v. Blue Hill Hospitality, Inc. (ND 4/25/2023) – The case has been reassigned to Magistrate Judge Abizer Zanzi and a Telephonic Status Conference is scheduled for July 16, 2024.

National College Resources Foundation v. The Strong Friends LLC et al. (ND 5/4/2023) –  No update this month.

Sadowski v. Restoration 1 by J&D, LLC (SD 7/12/2023) –  The lawsuit was dismissed on June 18, 2024.

Nickel and Dimes Incorporated v. Noah’s Arcade LLC et al (ND 7/25/2023) – As of June 4, 2024, a Motion to Compel Discovery was fully-briefed and is now awaiting the Court’s ruling.

Banjo Corporation v. Green Leaf, Inc. (SD 9/29/2023) – A Status Conference was held with the Magistrate Judge on June 27, 2024. A Settlement Conference is scheduled for September 23, 2024.

Perma-Green Supreme, Inc. v. Dr. Permagreen, LLC et al. (ND 10/06/2023) – No update this month.

Tempur Sealy International, Inc. et al. v. Luxury Mattress & Furniture, LLC (ND 11/09/2023) – On June 26, 2024, the plaintiffs filed a Motion for Attorney Fees For An Order Allowing Law Enforcement To Enter Defendants’ Premises to Remove Signage and Motion to Award Attorneys’ Fees.

Stross v. Homestead Properties, Inc. (SD 11/09/2023) – James Blake Hike has entered an appearance on behalf of the defendant. The parties have resolved a discovery dispute regarding an insurance policy.

Nutramax Laboratories, Inc. et al v. CNB Retailers, LLC et al. (ND 2/08/2024) – The lawsuit has settled. Dismissal papers are due by August 1, 2024.

Baskin-Robbins Franchising LLC et al v. Blu Moo Ice Cream Inc. et al. (SD 2/14/2024) – Clerk’s Entry of Default was entered on May 29, 2024. A Motion for Entry of Final Judgment was filed by the plaintiffs on June 28, 2024.

Sadowski v. Circle City Broadcasting I, LLC d/b/a WISH-TV (SD 2/21/2024) – A Telephonic Settlement Conference was held on June 12, 2024, but no settlement was reached.

Valcrum, LLC v. Dexter Axle Company, LLC (SD 3/1/2024) – Michael D. Martson has entered an appearance on behalf of the plaintiff. A Rule 16 Preliminary Pretrial Conference is scheduled for July 26, 2024.

Rigsby v. All Seasons Roofing (ND 3/14/2024) – An Answer was due by June 26, 2024, but nothing has been filed. On June 12, 2024, the lawsuit was reassigned to Magistrate Judge Abizer Zanzi.

Guangzhou Shima Decoration Materials Co., Ltd v. Shenzhen Ruimingxiang Technology Co., Ltd. et al. (SD 4/11/2024) – No update this month.

Peugh et al. v. Nadler et al. (SD 5/3/2024) – Charles J. Maiers and Scott Ernest Andres have entered an appearance on behalf of the defendants.

NutraMax Laboratories, Inc. et al. v. Abumayyaleh Bros LLC et al. (SD 6/20/2024) – Uly Samuel Gunn and Jason Demian Rosenberg have entered an appearance on behalf of the plaintiffs.

May 2024 Updates

April 2024 Updates – March 2024 Updates – February 2024 Updates – January 2024 Updates

December 2023 Updates – December 2022 Updates –  December 2021 Updates

May 2024 Indiana Intellectual Property Litigation Update

15 Wednesday May 2024

Posted by Kenan Farrell in Copyright, Indiana, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana, Trademark

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Litigation Update

May in Indy! While most people are spending their time at the racetrack, Indiana IP litigators are still hard at work. There were numerous settlements in the last month, perhaps because the parties realized they would rather be at the track than in court. Read on below for updates on all pending Indiana trademark and copyright litigation.

Forest River, Inc. v. inTech Trailers, Inc. (ND, filed 8/31/2021) – Now post-judgment, the parties are busy figuring out how much the attorneys should be paid.

Gabet et al. v. Amazon.com. Inc. et al. (ND, filed 1/20/2022) – There were over 2 dozen filings since last month, so if you’re following this case closely, you’ll want to go check out PACER.

The Evolutionary Level Above Human, Inc. v. Havel et al (ND, filed 5/18/2022) – No update this month.

Oakley, Inc. v. Batter’s Box Training, LLC et al (SD, filed 8/11/2022) –  No update this month. The lawsuit is still awaiting the Court’s action on the plaintiff’s Stipulation of Dismissal filed on January 18, 2024.

Honest Abe Roofing franchise, Inc. v. DCH & Associates, LLC et al. (SD, filed 9/7/2022) –  No update this month.

The Center for Gestalt Development, Inc. v. Bowman (SD (11/09/2022) – No update this month. 

1.4G Holdings, LLC v. North Central Industries, Inc. et al. (SD 1/05/2023) –  The lawsuit was dismissed on May 7, 2024.

Sak Group, Inc. v. Blue Hill Hospitality, Inc. (ND 4/25/2023) – No update this month.

National College Resources Foundation v. The Strong Friends LLC et al. (ND 5/4/2023) –  No update this month.

Sadowski v. Restoration 1 by J&D, LLC (SD 7/12/2023) –  On April 17, 2024, the parties filed a Joint Notice of Settlement. Dismissal papers must be filed by May 30, 2024.

Nickel and Dimes Incorporated v. Noah’s Arcade LLC et al (ND 7/25/2023) – On May 14, 2024, the Plaintiff filed a Motion to Compel Discovery and accompanying Brief in Support.

Banjo Corporation v. Green Leaf, Inc. (SD 9/29/2023) – A Telephonic Discovery Conference is scheduled on May 22, 2024. Position statements are due by May 16, 2024.

Perma-Green Supreme, Inc. v. Dr. Permagreen, LLC et al. (ND 10/06/2023) – No update this month.

Radic v. AllCity Adjusting LLC et al (ND 11/03/2023) –  The lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed on May 9, 2024.

Tempur Sealy International, Inc. et al. v. Luxury Mattress & Furniture, LLC (ND 11/09/2023) – No update this month.

Stross v. Homestead Properties, Inc. (SD 11/09/2023) – The Defendant’s deadline to file a Reply to its Motion to Dismiss has been extended to May 16, 2024.

Nutramax Laboratories, Inc. et al v. CNB Retailers, LLC et al. (ND 2/08/2024) – A Tentative Notice of Settlement was filed by the Plaintiff on May 9, 2024.

Baskin-Robbins Franchising LLC et al v. Blu Moo Ice Cream Inc. et al. (SD 2/14/2024) – On April 23, 2024, the Plaintiff filed Notice of Defendant’s Failure to Show Cause. On May 7, 2024, the Magistrate Judge recommended that the Plaintiff’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction be granted and entry of a default judgment.

Sadowski v. Circle City Broadcasting I, LLC d/b/a WISH-TV (SD 2/21/2024) – The Defendant filed its Answer on April 19, 2024, including the following affirmative defenses:

  1. Plaintiff has failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.
  2. Plaintiff has not been damaged as a result of Defendant’s alleged conduct.
  3. Defendant’s alleged conduct was fair use under 17 U.S.C. § 107.
  4. Defendant’s alleged conduct was authorized by or through Plaintiff or its
    licensees or agents, such as the New York Post, through distribution of the accused image on websites, news services, and/or social media accounts subject to terms permitting reuse and/or redistribution.
  5. Defendant’s alleged conduct was de minimis and therefore not actionable.
View this document on Scribd

Valcrum, LLC v. Dexter Axle Company, LLC (SD 3/1/2024) – The Defendant filed its Answer on April 22, 2024.

View this document on Scribd

Rigsby v. All Seasons Roofing (ND 3/14/2024) – An Amended Complaint was filed on May 3, 2024.

Optical Tactics, LLC d/b/a Fort Wayne Printing Company v. Allen & Goes Marketing Company (ND 3/29/2024) – The lawsuit was dismissed on May 9, 2024 via a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal.

Guangzhou Shima Decoration Materials Co., Ltd v. Shenzhen Ruimingxiang Technology Co., Ltd. et al. (SD 4/11/2024) –

Peugh et al. v. Nadler et al. (SD 5/3/2024) – No update yet.

April 2024 Updates – March 2024 Updates – February 2024 Updates – January 2024 Updates

December 2023 Updates – December 2022 Updates –  December 2021 Updates

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