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~ Trademark and Copyright Law Updates in Indiana

Indiana Intellectual Property Blog

Tag Archives: Indiana Trademark Infringement

AAA sues Anderson’s All American Auto for Trademark Infringement, Cybersquatting

24 Thursday Mar 2022

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

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Cybersquatting, Federal False Designation of Origin, Federal Trademark Dilution, Federal Trademark Infringement, Federal Unfair Competition, Indiana Trademark Dilution, Indiana Trademark Infringement, Indiana Unfair Competition, James Patrick Hanlon, Mark J. Dinsmore

The plaintiff in this trademark lawsuit is the American Automobile Association (AAA), i.e. that card in your wallet that you only pull out when you get a flat tire or lock your keys in the car. I’m actually surprised to read in the Complaint (below) that AAA has only 60 million members. I figured just about every driving American (231 million Americans held valid driving licenses in 2020) had a membership. For the low price of an annual membership, AAA is an absolute bargain when you’re stuck on the side of the highway far from home. Importantly for this lawsuit, AAA claims to also offer auto repair services.

The defendant is an Anderson, Indiana-based company with the patriotic name “All American Auto Hail Repair” using the internet domains AAA-HAILDENT-REPAIR.BUSINESS.SITE and AAAHAILDENTREPAIR.COM to advertise its services. The defendant is a small garage providing automobile dent removal services.

The defendant might challenge whether AAA really offers auto repairs under the AAA brands, or whether automobiles are just towed away by AAA trucks to have repairs performed by third-party repair companies. However, despite the surprisingly low number of members, AAA will still likely be considered a “famous” brand, which could grant it broader protection for ancillary goods/services like auto dent repairs.

It seems like a quick resolution, although perhaps legally unnecessary, would be for the defendant to just select a different domain name(s). AllAmericanAutoDentRepair.com is available right now, just sayin’. Some fights aren’t worth fighting.

Stay tuned for updates.

The American Automobile Association, Inc. v. All American Auto Hail Dent Repair LLC d/b/a AAA Hail Repair et al.

Case Number: 1:22-cv-00568-JPH-MJD
File Date: March 23, 2022
Plaintiff: The American Automobile Association, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: David O. Tittle, Elizabeth S. Traylor of Dentons Bingham Greenebaum LLP
Defendant: All American Auto Hail Dent Repair LLC d/b/a AAA Hail Repair, Lavern Pflugh
Cause: Federal Trademark Infringement, Federal False Designation of Origin, Federal Unfair Competition, Cybersquatting, Federal Trademark Dilution, Indiana Trademark Infringement, Indiana Trademark Dilution, Indiana Unfair Competition
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: James Patrick Hanlon
Referred To: Mark J. Dinsmore

Complaint:

View this document on Scribd

Plan B Games files Answer in Great Western Trail Litigation

01 Tuesday Oct 2019

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

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Common Law Unfair Competition, Conspiracy, False Designation of Origin, Federal Unfair Competition, Indiana Trademark Infringement, Mark J. Dinsmore, Sarah Evans Barker

Plan B Games has filed its Answer and Affirmative Defenses in the “Great Western Trail” lawsuit filed by Stronghold Games.

View this document on Scribd

The Answer is the standard cut-and-paste “Defendants lack knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of the allegations,” with just a few admissions to factual information.

The Affirmative Defenses, starting on Page 25,  challenge the Plaintiff’s rights in the GREAT WESTERN TRAIL trademark.

Stay tuned for updates.

UPDATE: This lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice on January 30, 2020.

Indie Game Studios, LLC v. Plan B Games, Inc et al.

Court Case Number: 1:19-cv-1492-SEB-MJD
File Date: Monday, April 15, 2019
Plaintiff: Indie Game Studios, LLC d/b/a Stronghold Games LLC
Plaintiff Counsel: Patrick J. Olmstead, Jr., John Bradshaw
Defendant: Plan B Games, Inc., Plan B Games Europe GMBH
Defendant Counsel: Burton S. Ehrlich of Ladas & Parry LLP, Darlene Seymour
Cause: Federal Unfair Competition, False Designation of Origin, Indiana Trademark Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition, Conspiracy
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Sarah Evans Barker
Referred To: Mark J. Dinsmore

Indy’s COMFORT STAY INN sued for trademark infringement by owner of COMFORT INN

17 Monday Jul 2017

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

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Debra McVicker Lynch, False Designation of Origin, Federal Trademark Infringement, Indiana Trademark Infringement, Indiana Unfair Competition, Tanya Walton Pratt

The Plaintiff in this trademark lawsuit is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. Among its many well-known brands are COMFORT INN and COMFORT SUITES. Plaintiff has used its family of COMFORT trademark since at least 1984.

Defendant operates a hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana under the name “Comfort Stay Inn.” Defendant’s utilizes the domain name comfortstayinn.com.

Cease-and-desist coomunications from Plaintiff’s attorney were unsuccessful, hence this lawsuit. Plaintiff asserts that Defendant’s hotel name is confusingly similar and has irreparably damaged the value of the COMFORT family of marks.

Choice Hotels International, Inc. v. American Hospitality Solution, LLC

Court Case Number: 1:17-cv-02402-TWP-DML
File Date: Friday, July 14, 2017
Plaintiff: Choice Hotels International, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Calvert S. Miller of Carson Boxberger LLP
Defendant: American Hospitality Solution, LLC
Cause: Federal Trademark Infringement, False Designation of Origin, Indiana Trademark Infringement, Indiana Unfair Competition
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Tanya Walton Pratt
Referred To: Debra McVicker Lynch

Complaint:

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“Franchise Conversion Scheme” alleged against Community Newsletter publisher

11 Thursday May 2017

Posted by Kenan Farrell in Intellectual Property

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Accounting, Actual or Constructive Fraud, Breach of Contract, Breach of Fiduciary Duties, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Copyright Infringement, Declaratory Judgment, Defamation, Denise K. LaRue, Federal Trademark Infringement, Franchise Fraud, Indiana Crime Victims' Act, Indiana Trademark Infringement, Individual Liability, Larry J. McKinney, Permanent Injunction, Preliminary Injunction, Stored Communications Act, Tortious Interference, Unfair Competition

This lengthy complaint, with 17 (!) causes of action, details an alleged “Franchise Conversion Scheme” by the Defendants. The case was initially filed in Johnson County Superior Court but has been removed to the Southern District of Indiana.

Chilly Panda, LLC v. Britt Interactive LLC et al.

Court Case Number: 1:17-cv-01544-LJM-DKL
File Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Plaintiff: Chilly Panda Media, LLC
Plaintiff Counsel: Matthew M. Cree of Law Office of Matthew M. Cree, LLC, P. Adam Davis of Davis and Sarbinoff, LLC
Defendant: Britt Interactive, LLC, Townepost Network, Inc., Tom Britt, Jeanne Britt, Josh F. Brown
Cause: Federal Trademark Infringement, Indiana Trademark Infringement, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Copyright Infringement, Unfair Competition, Indiana Crime Victims Act, Breach of Contract, Tortious Interference, Breach of Fiduciary Duties, Defamation, Franchise Fraud, Actual or Constructive Fraud, Stored Communications Act, Accounting, Individual Liability, Declaratory Judgment, Preliminary Injunction, Permanent Injunction
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Larry J. McKinney
Referred To: Denise K. LaRue

Complaint:

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Texas Roadhouse Trade Dress Lawsuit Comes to Indiana

26 Tuesday Jan 2016

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

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Common Law Trademark Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition, Copyright Infringement, Federal Trademark Infringement, Indiana Trademark Infringement, Joseph S. Van Bokkelen, Litigation Update, Michigan Trademark Infringement, Paul R. Cherry, Trade Dress Infringement

A long-standing trade dress/trademark beef between Texas Roadhouse and Texas Corral/Amarillo Roadhouse has been transferred to Indiana.

Background on the lawsuit, first filed in August 2013, is here: Texas Roadhouse alleges trademark infringement against other steakhouse operators

Stay tuned for updates as the case proceeds in Indiana.

Texas Roadhouse Complaint

Texas Roadhouse, Inc. et al v. Texas Corral Restaurants, Inc. et al

Court Case Number: 2:16-cv-00028-JVB-PRC
File Date: Monday, January 25, 2016
Plaintiff: Texas Roadhouse, Inc
Defendant: Texas Corral Restaurants, Inc.; Switzer Properties, LLC; Texcor, Inc.; Texas Corral Restaurant II, Inc.; T.C. of Michigan City, Inc.; T.C. of Kalamazoo, Inc.; Chicago Roadhouse Concepts, LLC; Paul Switzer; Victor Spina; and John Doe Corp.
Cause: Trade Dress Infringement, Federal Trademark Infringement, Michigan Trademark Infringement, Indiana Trademark Infringement, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Copyright Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition
Court: Northern District of Indiana
Judge: Joseph S. Van Bokkelen
Referred To: Paul R. Cherry

Complaint:

View this document on Scribd

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