Category Archives: Southern District of Indiana

Indianapolis Water Damage Restoration Company sued over Unauthorized Use of Photograph on Christmas Safety Blog Post

13 Thursday Jul 2023

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

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Restoration 1, an Indianapolis-based water damage restoration service, has been sued for unauthorized use of a photograph on their website. The Plaintiff is a professional photographer from New Jersey who, per the Complaint (below), first sought to negotiate a reasonable license before bringing this lawsuit with a single claim of copyright infringement.

The photograph of blurry Christmas lights was allegedly used by the Defendant as the header in a blog post titled “A Safety Guide to Outdoor Christmas Lights.” This lawsuit should be a reminder to other companies that no matter how benevolent your intended use might be, don’t ever use images you pull directly from Google Images or you could get sued. A second lesson, probably soon to be learned by this Defendant, is that the “reasonable license” fee can increase significantly after a lawsuit is filed.

Stay tuned for updates.

Sadowski v. Restoration 1 by J&D, LLC

Court Case Number: 1:23-cv-01224-JRS-MKK
File Date: July 12, 2023
Plaintiff: Christopher Sadowski
Plaintiff Counsel: Michael A. Swift of Maginot, Moore & Beck LLP
Defendant: Restoration 1 by J&D, LLC d/b/a Restoration 1 of Greater Indianapolis
Cause: Copyright Infringement
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: James R. Sweeney II
Referred To: M. Kendra Klump

Complaint:

Andretti Global sued in Indiana Federal Court by Design-Builder of New Fishers Headquarters

20 Tuesday Jun 2023

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

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This lawsuit involves the design and construction of a new headquarters for Andretti Global in Fishers, Indiana. The Plaintiff is a construction company that had been contracted to design and build the new facility. The Complaint (below) details how the business relationship went downhill pretty much from the onset, starting with late payments. The contract was terminated for cause in April 7, 2023. The Plaintiff disputes the stated grounds for termination. Construction on the facility has now been halted, presumably pending the outcome of this litigation or the related mediation.

The lawsuit includes a claim for copyright infringement due to the Defendants’ alleged post-termination use of the Plaintiff’s architectural designs. However, the Complaint does not state whether the architectural designs are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office, which is mandatory for a federal copyright lawsuit, so the copyright claim may be subject to a 12(b) motion.

The Complaint quotes one of the Defendants’ representatives as saying “If you want to go to war with a bunch of international billionaires, we’ll bury you.” The Plaintiff apparently has not been deterred by the threat of “war,” filing this lawsuit to insist that the “international billionaires” pay up the ~$1 million allegedly owed at the time of termination.

The lawsuit was originally filed in Hamilton County Court on May 24, 2023 and removed to the Southern District of Indiana on June 19, 2023. Stay tuned for updates.

DCG Indiana, Inc. v. Cardinal XLIII, LLC et al.

Court Case Number: 1:23-cv-01058-MPB-KMB
File Date: June 19, 2023
Plaintiff: DGC Indiana, Inc. d/b/a Dillon Construction Group a/k/a/ Dillon Construction a/k/a DCG Construction
Plaintiff Counsel: J. Michael Cavosie, J. Greg Easter, Elizabeth S. Schmitt, Katelyn Klingler of EASTER & CAVOSIE
Defendant: Cardinal XLIII, LLC, Motorsport Real Estate Ventures, LLC d/b/a Andretti Motorsports; Studio M Architecture and Planning, LLC, Gradex, Inc., Glenmark Construction Company, Inc.
Cause: Breach of Contract, Fraudulent Transfer, Copyright Infringement, Lien Foreclosure
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Matthew P. Brookman
Referred To: Kellie M. Barr

Complaint:

June 2023 Indiana Intellectual Property Litigation Update

15 Thursday Jun 2023

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

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Summer is almost here and several Indiana IP lawsuits are starting to heat up. Here are some of the most interesting updates from the previous month:

Sears Authorized Hometown Stores, LLC v. Lynn Retail, Inc. et al. (SD, filed 6/4/2021) – No update this month.

Noble Roman’s, Inc. v. AMI Stores Management, Inc. et al. (SD, filed 6/6/2021) –  No update this month.

Forest River, Inc. v. inTech Trailers, Inc. (ND, filed 8/31/2021) – On May 18, 2023, the Plaintiff filed its Reply Brief in Support of Partial Motion for Summary Judgment.

Fans of discovery disputes may want to follow this lawsuit more closely going forward. On May 18, the Plaintiff also filed its Response to Defendant’s Additional Statement of Material Facts.

On May 31, 2023, the Plaintiff filed a Motion to Exclude Testimony and Opinions of the Defendant’s expert witness.

Thomas v. ooShirts, Inc. et al. (SD, filed 9/24/2021) – The lawsuit was dismissed on June 8, 2023.

Gabet et al. v. Amazon.com. Inc. et al. (ND, filed 1/20/2022) – In resolving the prior discovery dispute, on June 5, 2023, the Court ordered that the Plaintiffs shall file a revised version of their Exhibit A that is both “text-copyable” and electronically “searchable.” The Court declined to impose sanctions on the Plaintiff’s counsel.

The Evolutionary Level Above Human, Inc. v. Havel et al (ND, filed 5/18/2022) – Several of Defendant Bartel’s recent motions were stricken by the Court on June 6, 2023. The Court also prohibited the pro-se parties from filing any other motions without the Court’s permission until further order. A status conference was held on June 14, 2023.

Oakley, Inc. v. Batter’s Box Training, LLC et al (SD, filed 8/11/2022) –  No update this month.

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

MaddenCo Inc. v. Reed et al. (SD, filed 10/31/2022) –  No update this month.

The Center for Gestalt Development, Inc. v. Bowman (SD (11/09/2022) – No update this month but the other individual defendant has transferred their lawsuit from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to the Southern District of Indiana. See below.

1.4G Holdings, LLC v. North Central Industries, Inc. et al. (SD 1/05/2023) – A Uniform Stipulated Protective Order was approved on May 17, 2023. The Defendants filed a Preliminary Exhibit List on May 19, 2023.

Stross v. Lynn Boolman Auto Sales Limited Liability Company et al. (ND 1/25/2023) –  The lawsuit was settled and dismissed with prejudice on May 31, 2023.

Albert’s Diamond Jewelers, Inc. v. AaLand Diamond Jewelers LLC (ND 2/01/2023) – On June 2, 2023, the Defendant filed a Motion to Bifurcate Damages from Liability. The Defendant wants a separate trial to first determine whether liability exists before spending time and energy on any damages calculations.

Delta Faucet Company v. Watkins et al. (SD 2/01/2023) – An Affidavit of Service for Defendant Watkins was filed on May 22, 2023, with service on April 27, 2023. On May 24, 2023, the Plaintiff filed a Motion for Clerk’s Entry of Default against Defendant Watkins, which was entered on June 14, 2023 for failure to respond.

USA Football, Inc. v. Flag Football World Championship Tour, LLC et al. (SD 2/13/2023) – On June 6, 2023, the case was transferred to the Eastern District of Texas and assigned case number 4:23-cv-00516.

Roller Ready, LLC v. LA Systems, LLC d/b/a Monkey Rung et al. (ND 2/14/2023) – The response deadline for Defendant Kiley has been extended to July 5, 2023. The Answer for Defendant LA Systems, LLC is due on August 1, 2023.

Taylor Shaye Designs LLC v. Shein Distribution Corp. (SD 4/11/2023) – The Defendant filed its Answer on May 30, 2023. The Answer consists mostly of general denials or “lack of information” responses and includes nineteen affirmative defenses so the Plaintiff can expect to face a vigorous defense. Defense counsel are David J. Carr, Thomas A. Walsh, and Paul C. Sweeney of ICE MILLER LLP.

HealthSmart Foods, Inc. v. Sweet Nothings, Inc. et al. (SD 4/13/2023) – On June 7, the Defendants filed a lengthy Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim and a Motion to Transfer Case.

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 yet.

The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians v. Dulaney et al. (SD 5/15/2023) – The Defendants’ counsel have now appeared and first extensions of time have been obtained.

Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. v. LNH, LLC d/b/a Burlington Pizza/The Barn (ND 5/24/2023) – No update yet.

The Center for Gestalt Development, Inc. v. Robine et al. (SD 6/13/2023) – No update yet.

May 2023 Updates

April 2023 Updates – March 2023 Updates – February 2023 Updates – January 2023 Updates

December 2022 Updates –  December 2021 Updates

Second Defendant in Gestalt Therapy Lawsuit Transfers Venue to Indiana

14 Wednesday Jun 2023

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

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This lawsuit was transferred in from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on motion from an individual defendant. It is related to Gestalt Therapy manuscript lawsuit transferred in earlier this year.

The Center for Gestalt Development, Inc. v. Robine et al

Court Case Number:  1:23-cv-01027-JMS-MKK
File Date: June 13, 2023
Plaintiff: The Center for Gestalt Development, Inc.
Defendant: Charles Bowman, Jean-Marie Robine, Institut Francais de Gestalt-Therapie
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Jane Magnus-Stinson
Referred To: M.Kendra Klump

Muncie Fire Captain sued over EMT Exam Cheating Scheme

18 Thursday May 2023

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

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Here’s a lawsuit straight out of Bayside High School. The lawsuit involves a Muncie, Indiana Fire Captain who allegedly has been providing test questions to individuals before they take their tests. The problem is these aren’t 9th grade English tests, but rather important emergency medical technician (EMT) examinations, meaning unqualified cheaters could be made responsible for saving the lives of the public. This is unfair to everyone, including the creators of the test, who have to rewrite the compromised examinations, and unqualified EMTs, who are advanced to a position where they might not be able to properly carry out their duties. It is most unfair to the endangered public, who could receive unqualified medical treatment and possibly die as a result.

The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), which creates the EMT examinations, is now suing the Fire Captain, along with two accomplice test memorizers, for copyright infringement, breach of contract, and trade secret claims. The two test memorizers would allegedly take the examinations, memorize the questions, and then report back to the Fire Captain, who would use that information to train fire department recruits. The test policies specifically forbid such actions.

The “years-long scheme” was reported by a whistleblower in March 2023, leading to an investigation and now this lawsuit. The whistleblower paints a portrait of more than just an overzealous instructor, claiming that the Fire Captain forced his employees to cheat on NREMT examinations “through abuse of power and harassment.”

Stay tuned for updates.

The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians v. Dulaney et al.

Court Case Number: 1:23-cv-00840-JRS-MJD
File Date: May 15, 2023
Plaintiff: The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
Plaintiff Counsel: Kandi Kilkelly Hidde, Cameron S. Trachtman of Frost Brown Todd LLP
Defendant: Troy Delaney, Jacob Sutton, Adam Burk
Cause: Copyright Infringement, Breach of Contract, Violation of the Indiana Uniform Trade Secrets Act, Violation of the Defend Trade Secrets Act
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: James R. Sweeney II
Referred To: Mark J. Dinsmore

Complaint: