Tag Archives: Federal Trademark Infringement

Klipsch sues Online Store for Unauthorized Sale of Speakers, Fake Serial Numbers

07 Saturday Jan 2017

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

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Klipsch, an Indiana-based manufacturer of high-end audio speakers, is suing Concealedaudio.com, an online speaker store, for unauthorized sales of Klipsch speakers.

In addition to selling “new” Klipsch speakers at discounted prices, the Defendant is also accused of removing and replacing serial numbers, thus voiding any Klipsch warranty for the unwary end customer. Allowing an unauthorized distributor to continue with discounted sales undermines authorized distributors who must contractually maintain higher prices. Pressure from both authorized distributors and customers left without a warranty essentially forces legal action from Klipsch in this situation.

The Defendant’s Klipsch speaker sales appear to continue unabated. Stay tuned for updates.

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Klipsch Group, Inc. v. Concealedaudio.com

Court Case Number: 1:17-cv-00034-TWP-MPB
File Date: Thursday, January 5, 2017
Plaintiff: Klipsch Group, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Dean E. McConnell of Indiano & McConnell LLC
Defendant: Concealedaudio.com
Cause: Federal Trademark Infringement, Federal Unfair Competition
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Tanya Walton Pratt
Referred To: Matthew P. Brookman

Complaint: 

Past President sues Military History Museum for Trademark Infringement

07 Wednesday Dec 2016

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

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Plaintiff is the owner of a federal trademark registration for FREEDOM HERITAGE MUSEUM, registered on April 19, 2016. He first used the mark in 2012 in connection with a military history museum of which he was the founding president and a board member.

Plaintiff left the museum in October 2016 and notified the museum that it could no longer use the trademark. He has begun promoting a new Evansville museum with the same name.

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This case serves as a good reminder for small businesses and non-profits to own their own trademarks, rather than registering them in the name of an owner or board member.

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Litov v. Freedom Heritage Museum

Court Case Number: 3:16-cv-00241-RLY-MPB
File Date: Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Plaintiff: Richard Litov
Plaintiff Counsel: Keith E. Rounder, Gary K. Price of Terrell, Baugh, Salmon & Born, LLP
Defendant: Freedom Heritage Museum, Inc.
Cause: Federal Trademark Infringement, Unfair Competition, False Designation, State Unfair Competition
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Richard L. Young
Referred To: Matthew P. Brookman

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:

Fishers sign company sues competitor for cybersquatting

13 Wednesday Jul 2016

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

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Plaintiff, based in Fishers, Indiana, is in the business of graphic design, sign manufacturing, metal fabrication, and creating promotional material and apparel.

Plaintiff’s website is located at www.eye4group.com.

Defendant is in the business of sign making and associated tools and products and is a direct competitor of Plaintiff in the Indianapolis area.

Defendant allegedly registered the domain “www.eyefourgroup.com” on October 1, 2015 and directed all traffic to its own website. That’s a no-no.

The domain is currently not active.

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Eye 4 Group, LLC v. Indianapolis Sign Works Inc. et al.

Court Case Number: 1:16-cv-01864-JMS-MPB
File Date: Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Plaintiff: Eye 4 Group, LLC
Plaintiff Counsel: Jennifer L. Mozwecz of SRM Law, Joe Duepner of Duepler Law, LLC
Defendant: Indianapolis Sign Works Inc., Andrew Chapman
Cause: Federal Trademark Infringement, Federal Unfair Competition, False Designation of Origin, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition, Federal Trademark Dilution, Contributory Trademark Infringement, Deception, Conversion, Indiana Crime Victim’s Relief Act, Cybersquatting, Violation of the CyberPiracy Prevention Act
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Jane Magnus-Stinson
Referred To: Matthew P. Brookman

Complaint:

Eli Lilly sues to prevent online sale of unauthorized foreign pet medications

07 Thursday Jul 2016

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

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The defendant in this trademark lawsuit, an online pet supply store, is alleged to be selling unauthorized foreign pet medication in the United States. According to the Complaint (below), foreign medications, primarily from South Africa, are being sold in violation of FDA mandates.

The specific brands at issue are ELANCO, COMFORTIS, TRIFEXIS, INTERCEPTOR and CAPSTAR pet medicines.

The Honorable Jane Magnus Stinson entered a default judgment and injunction against the prior owners of the same website on June 13, 2014, in Case No. 1:13-cv-01800-JMS-DML. New owners subsequently resumed and expanded sales, hence this follow-up lawsuit.

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Eli Lilly Company et al. v. Best Value Pet Supplies

Court Case Number: 1:16-cv-01787-RLY-DML
File Date: Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Plaintiff: Eli Lilly and Company, Novartis Tiergesundheit AG
Plaintiff Counsel: Jan M. Carroll, Anne N. DePrez of Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Defendant: Scott Martin d/b/a Best Value Pet Supplies, Does 1-10
Cause: Federal Trademark Infringement, Federal Unfair Competition, Indiana Unfair Competition
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Richard L. Young
Referred To: Debra McVicker Lynch

Complaint: