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Indiana Intellectual Property Blog

~ Trademark and Copyright Law Updates in Indiana

Indiana Intellectual Property Blog

Tag Archives: Litigation Update

Indiana Trademark Litigation Update – Swag Merchandising v. T.V. Store Online

03 Monday Feb 2014

Posted by Kenan Farrell in Intellectual Property

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Tags

California Right of Publicity Infringement, Common Law Right of Publicity, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition, Counterfeiting, Deception, Denise K. LaRue, Dilution, Indiana Crime Victims' Act, Litigation Update, Statutory Right of Publicity, Tanya Walton Pratt, Trademark Infringement, Violation of 1125(a)

Plaintiff alleges that Defendant is manufacturing and selling unauthorized “Energy Dome Hats,” the headwear popularized by American New Wave band DEVO.

Plaintiff claims to be the exclusive licensing agent of DEVO’s intellectual property rights. The Complaint references a pair of federal trademark registrations for DEVO in connection with “entertainment services” and “sound and visual recordings.” The ultimate question for this case however, which is less clear in the Complaint, is whether DEVO owns the rights to manufacture and sell Energy Dome Hats, which are “red in color, circular, and including four tiers of the circular design, with each tier becoming larger in circumference from the top of the hat to the bottom of the hat.”

Swag Merchandising Inc. et al v. T.V. Store Online et al

Court Case Number: 1:14-cv-00127-TWP-DKL
File Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Plaintiff: Swag Merchandising Inc., Devo Inc. Corporation California
Plaintiff Counsel: Theodore J. Minch of Sovich Minch LLP
Defendant: T.V. Store Online, Fred Hajjar
Cause: Violation of 1125(a), Trademark Infringement, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Counterfeiting, Dilution, Common Law Unfair Competition, Statutory Right of Publicity, California Right of Publicity Infringement, Common Law Right of Publicity, Deception, Indiana Crime Victims’ Act
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Tanya Walton Pratt
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Denise K. LaRue

State Court Complaint:

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Notice of Removal:

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Indiana Trademark Litigation Update – Sprint Solutions et al v. Reginald Aldridge et al

03 Monday Feb 2014

Posted by Kenan Farrell in Intellectual Property

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Tags

Civil Conspiracy, Common Law Fraud, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Conspiracy to Induce Breach of Contract, Contributory Trademark Infringement, Conversion, Debra McVicker Lynch, False Advertising, Federal Trademark Infringement, Fraudulent Misrepresentation, Litigation Update, Tanya Walton Pratt, Tortious Interference with Business Relationships, Trafficking in Computer Passwords, Unauthorized Access, Unauthorized Access with Intent to Defraud, Unfair Competition, Unjust Enrichment

Plaintiff Sprint accuses three defendants of profiting from the illegal acquisition and resale of new Sprint phones. The Complaint is lengthy, detailing both Sprint’s business model and the Defendants’ alleged “Bulk Handset Theft and Trafficking Scheme,” in addition to fourteen claims. Presumably, in addition to civil penalties, the actions alleged by the Plaintiffs could also result in criminal penalties for Defendants.

Sprint Solutions, Inc. et al v. Reginald Aldridge et al

Court Case Number: 1:14-cv-00128-TWP-DML
File Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Plaintiff: Sprint Solutions, Inc., Sprint Communications Company LP, Boost Worldwide, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Matthew B. Millis, John D. Waller of Wooden & McLaughlin LLP
Defendant: Reginald Aldridge, Arrice Aldridge, Damion Transou
Cause: Unfair Competition, Tortious Interference with Business Relationships and Prospective Advantage, Civil Conspiracy, Unjust Enrichment, Conspiracy to Induce Breach of Contract, Common Law Fraud, Fraudulent Misrepresentation, Trafficking in Computer Passwords, Unauthorized Access, Unauthorized Access with Intent to Defraud, Federal Trademark Infringement, Common Law Trademark Infringement, False Advertising, Contributory Trademark Infringement, Conversion
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Tanya Walton Pratt
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Debra McVicker Lynch

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Indiana Copyright Litigation Update – Countryman Nevada v. Does 1-16

27 Monday Jan 2014

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

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Tags

BitTorrent, Copyright Infringement, Litigation Update, Paul J. Nicoletti, Robert L. Miller, Roger B. Cosbey

They’re back! Just when you thought the BitTorrent download cases had stopped in Indiana, Nicoletti is back with a new lawsuit involving “Charlie Countryman,” a film starring Shia LaBeouf, Rupert Grint and Evan Rachel Wood. The film was released November 15, 2013 in the United States to largely negative reviews. Having failed at the box office, the producers have apparently turned to lawyers to recoup some of their costs from the 16 Hoosiers unlucky enough to have (allegedly) downloaded the film.

Countryman Nevada LLC v. Does 1-16

Court Case Number: 1:14-cv-00019-RLM-RBC
File Date: Friday, January 24, 2014
Plaintiff: Countryman Nevada LLC
Plaintiff Counsel: Paul J. Nicoletti of Nicoletti & Associates PLLC
Defendant: Does 1-16
Cause: Copyright Infringement
Court: Northern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr.
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Roger B. Cosbey

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Indiana Copyright Litigation Update – National Photo Group v. Federated Media et al

30 Monday Dec 2013

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

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Tags

Attorney Fees and Costs, Celebrity Photography, Christopher A. Nuechterlein, Contributory Copyright Infringement, Copyright Infringement, Inducement of Copyright Infringement, Injunction, Litigation Update, Philip P. Simon, Vicarious Copyright Infringement

This litigation involves the unauthorized use of celebrity photographs on a Fort Wayne country radio station’s website.

K105 Pictures

The lawsuit should serve as a reminder/warning to everyone operating a commercial website to only use photographs that:

  1. You own; or
  2. You have permission to use; or
  3. Are in the public domain.

This means going back through old pages and posts and removing/replacing unauthorized images. Failure to do this can result in expensive copyright litigation. If you have any questions about the photographs on your site, err on the side of caution and remove them until you’re able to properly determine ownership.

National Photo Group LLC v. Federated Media Inc. et al

Court Case Number: 3:13-cv-01405-PPS-CAN
File Date: Thursday, December 26, 2013
Plaintiff: National Photo Group LLC
Plaintiff Counsel: Craig B. Sanders of Sanders Law PLLC
Defendant: Federated Media Inc., WQHK-FM
Cause: Direct Copyright Infringement, Contributory Copyright Infringement, Vicarious Copyright Infringement, Inducement of Copyright Infringement, Injunction, Attorney Fees and Costs
Court: Northern District of Indiana
Judge: Chief Judge Philip P. Simon
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein

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Indiana Trademark Litigation Update – Cummins v. T’Shirt Factory

17 Tuesday Dec 2013

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

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Tags

Debra McVicker Lynch, Litigation Update, Trademark Counterfeiting, Trademark Dilution, Trademark Infringement, William T. Lawrence

Here’s a lawsuit over counterfeit apparel being sold at kiosks around Indiana malls bearing the CUMMINS trademark. Cummins is an Indianapolis-based designer and manufacturer of power generation equipment, power systems, gasoline engines, custom power supplies. Check out some sample “counterfeits” below:

Counterfeiting

Cummins, Inc. v. T’Shirt Factory et al

Court Case Number: 1:13-cv-01972-WTL-DML
File Date: Friday, December 13, 2013
Plaintiff: Cummins, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: T. Joseph Wendt of Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Defendant: T’Shirt Factory, Freedom Custom Z, Shamir Harutyunyan, Does 1-10
Cause: Trademark Infringement, Trademark Dilution, Trademark Counterfeiting
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge William T. Lawrence
Referred To: Magistrate Judge Debra McVicker Lynch

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