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~ Trademark and Copyright Law Updates in Indiana

Indiana Intellectual Property Blog

Tag Archives: Declaratory Judgment of Unenforceability

Indiana Trademark Litigation Update – Chartreuse v. Chartreuse Fragrances

11 Tuesday Feb 2014

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

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declaratory Judgment of Non-Infringement, Declaratory Judgment of Unenforceability, Denise K. LaRue, Litigation Update, William T. Lawrence

The Plaintiff in this Declaratory Judgment action is an Indianapolis-based LLC that has used the CHARTREUSE trademark in connection with “handmade soy candles” since January 2013.

Screen Shot 2014-02-11 at 7.49.29 AM

Defendant is a New Jersey-based LLC that owns a federal registration for CHARTREUSE in connection with “Candles,” with a date of first use in commerce in April 2002. Defendant sent a “cease and desist” letter to Plaintiff in January 2014 asserting their trademark rights. Plaintiff responded by filing a complaint for Declaratory Judgment of Non-Infringement, Unenforceability and Invalidity.

The Plaintiff asserts in their Complaint that Defendant has not used their trademark for over three (3) years, that the CHARTREUSE mark is descriptive and therefore not entitled to registration and that the claimed date of first use in the registration is inaccurate. If these things can be proved, Plaintiff may have a shot to invalidate the registration. However, in addition to counterclaims based on the federal registration, I’d expect Defendant’s Response to include a full slate of common law trademark infringement counterclaims based on their lengthy use of their trademark.

Maybe I’m in the wrong line of work. There must be good money in “handmade soy candles” if Plaintiff can afford to hire a big law firm to pursue federal litigation to protect a trademark in use for just over a year.

Chartreuse LLC v. Chartreuse Fragrances LLC

Court Case Number: 1:14-cv-00181-WTL-DKL
File Date: Friday, February 07, 2014
Plaintiff: Chartreuse LLC
Plaintiff Counsel: Louis T. Perry of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP
Defendant: Chartreuse Fragrances LLC
Cause: Unenforceability and Invalidity of Defendant’s Mark, Non-Infringement of Trademark
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge William T. Lawrence
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Denise K. LaRue

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Indiana Trademark Litigation Update – Williams Industries v. Tervis Tumbler

27 Monday Jun 2011

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

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Common Law Unfair Competition, Debra McVicker Lynch, declaratory Judgment of Non-Infringement, Declaratory Judgment of Unenforceability, Fraudulent Procurement of Trademark Registration, Genericness, Sarah Evans Barker, Tortious Interference with Business Relationships

Williams Industries, Inc. v. Tervis Tumbler Company

Plaintiff, Williams Industries, is based out of Shelbyville, IN and designs/manufactures a variety of products including plastic drink tumblers.  Among their products are the 12 oz. and 14oz. Tritan™ double wall tumblers.  Plaintiff has an ongoing business relationship with Hit Promotional Products, a seller of many products, including the Tritan™ tumblers.  Defendant, Tervis owns two copyrights regarding design and style of plastic drink tumblers.  Tervis sent a cease and desist letter, claiming Hit “deceived and misled customer who pay for

[its] products into believing that such products are those of Tervis… [t]his attempt to profit off of Tervis’ goodwill is a violation of state and Federal trademark and unfair competition laws.” In response, Hit removed the Tritan™ tumblers from their website.  Plaintiff is requesting the cancellation of Tervis‘ trademarks due to genericness, unenforceability, and fraudulent procurement; as well as compensation for damages resulting from the alleged tortious interference.

Court Case Number: 1:11-cv-00860-SEB-DML
File Date: Monday, June 27, 2011
Plaintiff: Williams Industries, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Dwight D. Lueck, Jennifer Lynn Schuster of Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Defendant: Tervis Tumbler Company
Cause: Tortious Interference with Business Relationships, Cancellation of the ‘577 Mark for Fraudulent Procurement of Trademark Registration, Cancellation of the ‘577 Mark for Genericness, Request for Declaratory Judgment of Unenforceability of the ‘577 Mark, Request for Declaratory Judgment of Non-Infringement of the ‘871 Mark, Request for Declaratory Judgement of Unenforceability of Tervis’s Alleged Trade Dress, Common Law Unfair Competition,
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Sarah Evans Barker
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Debra McVicker Lynch

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