Tag Archives: False Designation of Origin

Garden Flag Manufacturer sues Former Reseller for Trademark Infringement, Cybersquatting

04 Thursday May 2017

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

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This lawsuit involves a garden flag manufacturer and a former reseller that continued selling product without authorization, as well as registering various infringing domain names. The Defendants’ bad faith use of the domain names has already been deterring by a WIPO proceeding.

Toland Home Garden v. PH Technologies et al.

Court Case Number: 3:17-cv-00336-PPS-MGG
File Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Plaintiff: Toland International Ltd. and Marketing Resource Group, Inc. d/b/a Toland Home Garden
Plaintiff Counsel: Todd Gale, Jennifer Fraser of Dykema Gossett PLLC
Defendant: PH Technologies, LLC, Philip S. Horvath
Cause: Federal Trademark Infringement, False Designation of Origin, False Advertising, Unfair Competition, Federal Cybersquatting, Trademark Dilution, Injury to Business Reputation, Common Law Unfair Competition, Common Law Unjust Enrichment
Court: Northern District of Indiana
Judge: Philip P. Simon
Referred To: Michael G. Gotsch, Sr.

Complaint: 

 

Super 8 sues Past Franchisee for Violation of Franchise Agreement, Unauthorized Transfer of Hotel

27 Tuesday Dec 2016

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

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The Defendants in this lawsuit are alleged to have transferred possession of their “Super 8”-franchised hotel (located in Auburn, Indiana) in violation of the terms of their Franchise Agreement.

The new owner, also named as a defendant, has continued to use Plaintiff’s trademarks despite termination of the Franchise Agreement in July 2014.

As is customary for franchise violations, a lawsuit often must be filed to protect not only the Plaintiff and its trademarks, but also the rights of the rest of its valid franchisees. Allowing unauthorized franchises to exist without repercussions can undermine the rights of valid paying franchise holders.

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Super 8 Worldwide Inc. v. Auburn Lodging Associates LLP et al

Court Case Number: 1:16-cv-00435-PPS-SLC
File Date: Thursday, December 22, 2016
Plaintiff: Super 8 Worldwide Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Richard M. Blaiklock, Charles R. Whybrew of Lewis Wagner, LLP
Defendant: Auburn Lodging Associates, LLP, Kokila Patel, Dilip Patel, Chicago Capital Holdings, LLC
Cause: Trademark Infringement (Service Mark Infringement), False Designation of Origin, Counterfeiting, Indiana State Trademark Infringement, Indiana State Unfair Competition, Accounting, Liquidated Damages, Actual Damages, Recurring Fees, Unjust Enrichment, Guarantors’ Liability, Self-Help
Court: Northern District of Indiana
Judge: Philip P. Simon
Referred To: Susan L. Collins

Complaint:

Trademark Lawsuit filed in Indiana against Titleist, Cleveland Golf Club Counterfeiter

26 Monday Dec 2016

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

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Defendant, a resident of Carmel, Indiana, is accused of selling counterfeit golf clubs and golf accessories. In addition to trademark claims, the Complaint includes a wide range of Indiana code violations.

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Acushnet Company et al. v. Nunns et al.

Court Case Number:1:16-cv-3379-RLY-TAB
File Date: Thursday, December 15, 2016
Plaintiff: Acushnet Company, Roger Cleveland Golf Company, Inc., Dunlop Sports Co. LTD
Plaintiff Counsel: Jonathan G. Polak of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
Defendant: Giorgio V. Nunns a/k/a George Nunns a/k/a Georgie Nunns a/k/a Giorgio, Custom Golf Solutions, LLC d/b/a bogie’s nearly new golf d/b/a gnunns81 d/b/a golf customsolutions15
Cause: Trademark Counterfeiting, Trademark Infringement, False Designation of Origin, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Conversion, Forgery, Counterfeiting, Theft, Criminal Mischief
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Richard L. Young
Referred To: Mark J. Dinsmore

Complaint:

GNARLY HEAD wine vs. GNARLY GROVE hard cider…are you confused?

02 Wednesday Nov 2016

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

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Plaintiff Gnarly Head, a California winery, asserts that Columbus, Indiana’s Simmons Winery has adopted a confusingly similar trademark and trade dress with their new line of Gnarly Grove hard cider.

I’ll leave the question of confusion for you. What I’d really like to know is who is mixing wine and hard cider??? Tasty?

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Delicato Vineyards v. Gnarly Grove Cider Co.

Court Case Number: 1:16-cv-02932-TWP-DKL
File Date: Friday, October 28, 2016
Plaintiff: Delicato Vineyards
Plaintiff Counsel: Jonathan G. Polak, Cristina A. Costa of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, LLP
Defendant: Gnarly Grove Cider Co.
Cause: Trademark Infringement, Trade Dress Infringement, False Designation of Origin, Common Law Unfair Competition
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Tanya Walton Pratt
Referred To: Denise K. LaRue

Complaint:

ZIG-ZAG looks to smoke out counterfeiters in Indiana

18 Thursday Aug 2016

Posted by in Branding, Copyright, Indiana, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Northern District of Indiana, Trade Dress, Trademark

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This is an anti-counterfeiting action against an extensive list of defendants who allegedly manufacture, import and sell counterfeit versions of Plaintiff’s ZIG-ZAG cigarette papers in Indiana.

As expected, the counterfeit products are “inferior, cheaper versions sold without any known quality control or authorization.”

Stopping counterfeiters is a difficult task and, as seen here, must often be done on a state-by-state basis.

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North Atlantic Operating Company, Inc. et al v. KPC Distributor Inc. et al

Court Case Number: 1:16-cv-00307-PPS-SLC
File Date: Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Plaintiff: North Atlantic Operating Company, Inc.; National Tobacco Company, L.P.
Plaintiff Counsel: Gregory W. Pottorff, Adam Arceneaux of Ice Miller
Defendant: KPC Distributor Inc. et al.
Cause: Federal Trademark Infringement, False Designation of Origin, Trade Dress Infringement, Federal Copyright Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition, Common Law Trademark Infringement
Court: Northern District of Indiana
Judge: Philip P. Simon
Referred To: Susan L. Collins

Complaint: