Indiana Copyright Litigation Update – Countryman Nevada v. Does 1-16

27 Monday Jan 2014

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

They’re back! Just when you thought the BitTorrent download cases had stopped in Indiana, Nicoletti is back with a new lawsuit involving “Charlie Countryman,” a film starring Shia LaBeouf, Rupert Grint and Evan Rachel Wood. The film was released November 15, 2013 in the United States to largely negative reviews. Having failed at the box office, the producers have apparently turned to lawyers to recoup some of their costs from the 16 Hoosiers unlucky enough to have (allegedly) downloaded the film.

Countryman Nevada LLC v. Does 1-16

Court Case Number: 1:14-cv-00019-RLM-RBC
File Date: Friday, January 24, 2014
Plaintiff: Countryman Nevada LLC
Plaintiff Counsel: Paul J. Nicoletti of Nicoletti & Associates PLLC
Defendant: Does 1-16
Cause: Copyright Infringement
Court: Northern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr.
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey

Indiana Copyright Litigation Update – National Photo Group v. Federated Media et al

30 Monday Dec 2013

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

This litigation involves the unauthorized use of celebrity photographs on a Fort Wayne country radio station’s website.

K105 Pictures

The lawsuit should serve as a reminder/warning to everyone operating a commercial website to only use photographs that:

  1. You own; or
  2. You have permission to use; or
  3. Are in the public domain.

This means going back through old pages and posts and removing/replacing unauthorized images. Failure to do this can result in expensive copyright litigation. If you have any questions about the photographs on your site, err on the side of caution and remove them until you’re able to properly determine ownership.

National Photo Group LLC v. Federated Media Inc. et al

Court Case Number: 3:13-cv-01405-PPS-CAN
File Date: Thursday, December 26, 2013
Plaintiff: National Photo Group LLC
Plaintiff Counsel: Craig B. Sanders of Sanders Law PLLC
Defendant: Federated Media Inc., WQHK-FM
Cause: Direct Copyright Infringement, Contributory Copyright Infringement, Vicarious Copyright Infringement, Inducement of Copyright Infringement, Injunction, Attorney Fees and Costs
Court: Northern District of Indiana
Judge: Chief Judge Philip P. Simon
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein

Indiana Trademark Litigation Update – Cummins v. T’Shirt Factory

17 Tuesday Dec 2013

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Here’s a lawsuit over counterfeit apparel being sold at kiosks around Indiana malls bearing the CUMMINS trademark. Cummins is an Indianapolis-based designer and manufacturer of power generation equipment, power systems, gasoline engines, custom power supplies. Check out some sample “counterfeits” below:

Counterfeiting

Cummins, Inc. v. T’Shirt Factory et al

Court Case Number: 1:13-cv-01972-WTL-DML
File Date: Friday, December 13, 2013
Plaintiff: Cummins, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: T. Joseph Wendt of Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Defendant: T’Shirt Factory, Freedom Custom Z, Shamir Harutyunyan, Does 1-10
Cause: Trademark Infringement, Trademark Dilution, Trademark Counterfeiting
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge William T. Lawrence
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Debra McVicker Lynch

Indiana Copyright Litigation Update – Redwall Live v. ESG Security

26 Tuesday Nov 2013

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Redwall Live Corporation v. ESG Security, Inc.

Court Case Number: 1:13-cv-01849-SEB-DML
File Date: Thursday, November 21, 2013
Plaintiff: Redwall Live Corporation
Plaintiff Counsel: Steven G. Cracraft of Brannon Sowers & Cracraft PC
Defendant: ESG Security, Inc.
Cause: Copyright Infringement, Breach of Contract, Unjust Enrichment
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Sarah Evans Barker
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Debra McVicker Lynch

Wounded Warrior Project sues Indiana Veteran over Critical Comments on Website

25 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by in Intellectual Property, Nonprofit

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Plaintiff, Wounded Warrior Project, is a Virginia-based nonprofit that claims to provide comfort items to service members injured in combat. Defendant Help Indiana Vets operates an Indiana-based website (run by a U.S. Army veteran) that is critical of Plaintiff’s operations, asserting that “Wounded Warrior Project is a Fraud.” Wounded Warrior Project responded by filing this lawsuit in an attempt to force Defendant to change the website.

All Veterans Memorial

Defendant seems intent on fighting the lawsuit on behalf of “all Wounded Warriors” and is soliciting donations for a legal defense fund. Veterans, bloggers, free speech and anti-censorship advocates will likely be interested in supporting Defendant in this litigation but it will be an uphill battle since Plaintiff already has a team of high-powered attorneys.

Stay tuned for updates.

Wounded Warrior Project, Inc. v. Help Indiana Vets, Inc. et al

Court Case Number: 1:13-cv-01857-RLY-DML
File Date: Thursday, November 21, 2013
Plaintiff: Wounded Warrior Project, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Jessica M. Lindemann of Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Defendant: Help Indiana Vets, Inc., Dean M. Graham
Cause: False Advertising, Criminal Deception, Defamation, Common Law Unfair Competition, Tortious Interference with Business Relationships, Unjust Enrichment
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Richard L. Young
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Debra McVicker Lynch