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Indiana Intellectual Property Blog

~ Trademark and Copyright Law Updates in Indiana

Indiana Intellectual Property Blog

Tag Archives: Federal Trade Dress Infringement

Trade Dress Lawsuit filed in Indiana over Trailer Axle Hubcaps

04 Monday Mar 2024

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

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Tags

Breach of Contract, Common Law Trade Dress Infringement, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition, Damon R. Leichty, Federal False Designation of Origin, Federal Trade Dress Infringement, Federal Trademark Infringement, Federal Unfair Competition, Michael G. Gotsch, Unjust Enrichment

An Elkhart, Indiana-based hubcap manufacturer has been sued for trademark and trade dress infringement. The plaintiff, Valcrum of Cypress, Texas, manufactures hubcaps for medium-duty (8,000-16,000 pounds) trailer axles. Valcrum’s axles use a distinctive design consisting of a “signature red hex bezel having a hexagonal outer perimeter and an inner diameter.”

The defendant, Dexter Axle Company, has an extensive business history with Valcrum. The ultimate result of the breakdown of their business relationship, as detailed in the Complaint below, was Dexter producing its own line of axle hubcaps, which allegedly violate the plaintiff’s trademark and trade dress rights. The Complaint also alleges numerous violations of a nondisclosure agreement executed by the parties in 2020.

Stay tuned for updates.

Valcrum, LLC v. Dexter Axle Company, LLC

Court Case Number: 3:24-cv-00190-DRL-MGG
File Date: March 1, 2024
Plaintiff: Valcrum, LLC
Plaintiff Counsel: Andrew J. Chabot of Botkin & Hall, LLP
Defendant: Dexter Axle Company, LLC
Cause: Breach of Contract, Federal Trademark Infringement, Federal Trade Dress Infringement, Federal Unfair Competition, Federal False Designation of Origin, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Common Law Trade Dress Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition, Unjust Enrichment
Court: Northern District of Indiana
Judge: Damon R. Leichty
Referred To: Michael G. Gotsch, Sr.

Complaint:

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Two Indiana Valve Companies involved in Trade Dress Lawsuit over Yellow Valve Handles

02 Monday Oct 2023

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

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Common Law Unfair Competition, Federal False Advertising, Federal False Designations of Origin, Federal Trade Dress Infringement, Federal Trademark Infringement, Federal Unfair Competition, Mario Garcia, Sarah Evans Barker

Banjo Corporation of Crawfordsville, Indiana, designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells control valves for regulating the flow of liquids in hoses and pipes. Since 1994, Banjo’s valves have had distinctive yellow-colored handles. Banjo currently sells approximately 150 types of control valves, all bearing the distinctive yellow handles.

Green Leaf of Fontanet, Indiana, has been selling control valves with green handles since 1983. In 2019, after hiring 2 ex-Banjo employees, Green Leaf launched a line of yellow-handled valves. Green Leaf’s new valve line uses the name TERREMAX.

In a lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Indiana, Banjo accuses Green Leaf of violating its trade dress in the yellow valve handles. The name TERREMAX is also allegedly meant to imitate Banjo’s line of TERRE and TERRE KNIFE products. The Complaint (below) details other alleged deceptive conduct by Green Leaf, but we’ll be most interested in watching the trade dress claim for the yellow handle design.

Stay tuned for updates.

Banjo Corporation v. Green Leaf, Inc.

Court Case Number: 1:23-cv-01770-SEB-MG
File Date: September 29, 2023
Plaintiff: Banjo Corporation
Plaintiff Counsel: Dwight D. Lueck of Barnes & Thornburg, LLP, Jonathan E. Moskin of Foley & Lardner LLP
Defendant: Green Leaf, Inc.
Cause: Federal Trademark Infringement, Federal Trade Dress Infringement, Federal Unfair Competition, Federal False Designations of Origin, Federal False Advertising, Common Law Unfair Competition, Common Law Trademark Infringement
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Sarah Evans Barker
Referred To: Mario Garcia

Complaint:

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Indiana Trade Dress Litigation Update – Forest River v. Winnebago Industries

19 Saturday Dec 2015

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

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Tags

Christopher A. Nuechterlein, Common Law Trade Dress Infringement, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition, False and Misleading Representations, False Designation of Origin, Federal Trade Dress Infringement, Federal Trademark Infringement, Federal Unfair Competition, Robert L. Miller

This lawsuit involves the popular RPOD travel trailer, sold by Plaintiff since 2009, and an allegedly infringing DROP trailer, sold by Defendant since September 2015.

It will be interesting to see what trade dress rights can be protected for a small travel trailer. Importantly, trade dress cannot be functional. Specifically, the Complaint references “the exterior shape, the total visual image, the interior layout, interior fabric patterns and colors, and model numbers.”

RPOD Complaint Comparison

Forest River Inc v. Winnebago Industries Inc et al

Court Case Number: 3:15-cv-00609-RLM-CAN
File Date: Friday, December 18, 2015
Plaintiff: Forest River, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Jonathan P. Froemel, Georgina D. Jenkins of Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Defendant: Winnebago Industries, Inc., Winnebago of Indiana, LLC
Cause: Federal Trademark Infringement, Federal Trade Dress Infringement, Federal Unfair Competition, False Designation of Origin, False and Misleading Representations, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Common Law Trade Dress Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr.
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein

Complaint:

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Indiana Trade Dress Litigation Update – Mortar Net USA v. Hohmann & Barnard

30 Wednesday May 2012

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

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Tags

Andrew P. Rodovich, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition, Federal Trade Dress Infringement, Federal Trademark Infringement, Federal Unfair Competition, Litigation Update, Theresa L. Springmann, Trademark Infringement

Mortar Net USA Ltd. v. Hohmann & Barnard Inc.

Court Case Number:    2:12-cv-00215-TLS-APR
File Date:    Friday, May 25, 2012
Plaintiff:     Mortar Net USA Ltd.
Plaintiff Counsel:     Daniel W. Glavin of O’Neill McFadden & Willett LLP
Defendant:     Hohmann & Barnard Inc.
Cause:    Federal Trade Dress Infringement, Federal Trademark Infringement, Trademark Infringement, Federal Unfair Competition, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition
Court:     Northern District of Indiana
Judge:     Judge Theresa L. Springmann
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Andrew P. Rodovich

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