Tag Archives: William G. Hussmann

Indiana Trademark Litigation Update – Hartfield Company v. Jeffrey Hartfield

08 Thursday Oct 2015

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

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After 35 years of working for the company bearing his father’s name, son sought to go out on his own. With 35 years of experience in one industry, he of course decided to start a similar company. But could he start a company also bearing his own (and his father’s) last name? Not if the new owner of daddy’s company has anything to say about it.

Trademark and surnames are often problematic. Here’s some basic info to consider as you analyze the Complaint:

Screen Shot 2015-10-07 at 9.39.13 AM

Think HARTFIELD?

Hartfield Company Inc. et al v. Jeffrey Hartfield et al

Court Case Number: 4:15-cv-00143-SEB-WGH
File Date: Monday, October 5, 2015
Plaintiff: Hartfield Company Inc., National Financial Partners Corp.
Plaintiff Counsel: Kendall Millard of Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Defendant: Jeffrey Hatfield, Hartfield Solutions LLC
Cause: Federal Unfair Competition and False Designation of Origin, Common Law Unfair Competition and Trademark Infringement
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Sarah Evans Barker
Referred To: Magistrate Judge William G. Hussmann, Jr.

Complaint:

Indiana Copyright Litigation Update – Professional Transportation Inc. v. Robert E. Warmka

30 Wednesday Sep 2015

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

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This lawsuit, removed from Vanderburgh Superior Court to the Southern District of Indiana, involves a dispute over a “Driver’s Manual.” Defendant is alleged to have left the employ of Plaintiff and utilized portions of their proprietary driver’s manual with his new employer. Defendant removed the lawsuit to federal court.

Professional Transportation Inc. v. Robert E. Warmka

Court Case Number: 3:15-cv-00134-RLY-WGH
File Date: Monday, September 28, 2015
Plaintiff: Professional Transportation Inc.
Defendant: Robert E. Warmka
Cause: Indiana Trade Secret Violation, Unfair Competition, Copyright Infringement
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Richard L. Young
Referred To: Magistrate Judge William G. Hussmann, Jr.

Notice of Removal:

Complaint:

Indiana Copyright Litigation Update – Brinker Manufacturing Jewelers Inc. v. Rogers Galleria Jewelers

01 Wednesday Oct 2014

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

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Defendants are accused of having repeatedly copied Plaintiff’s advertising marketing and branding including copying the design of Plaintiff’s showroom and jewelry boxes, interfering with Plaintiff’s exclusive vendor contracts, and copying and/or plagiarizing several of Plaintiff’s taglines and written advertisements.

Court Case Number: 3:14-cv-00134-RLY-WGH
File Date: Monday, September 29, 2014
Plaintiff: Brinker Manufacturing Jewelers Inc., South Central Communications Corporation
Plaintiff Counsel: Jean M. Blanton of Ziemer Stayman Weitzel & Shoulders LLP, Nick J. Cirignano
Defendant: Rogers Galleria Jewelers LLC, Tyna Wheat, Sharon Sartore
Cause: Copyright Infringement, Trade Dress Infringement, Unfair Competition, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Common Law Unfair Competition, Deceptive Trade Practices, Conversion, Misappropriation of Advertising Ideas and Style of Doing Business, Tortious Interference with Business Relations
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Richard L. Young
Referred To: Magistrate Judge William G. Hussmann, Jr.

Indiana Trademark Litigation Update – Liquid Palace v. E Liquid Palace

17 Tuesday Jun 2014

Posted by in Indiana, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Trademark

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This is a dispute between two electronic cigarette distributors over the marks “Genie,” Liquid Genie” and “Electric Genie.” Both parties began using their respective trademarks in 2013 and have retail locations approximately six miles apart. This case was removed from the Circuit Court for Floyd County, Indiana.

Liquid Palace, LLC et al v. E Liquid Palace, LLC et al

Court Case Number: 4:14-cv-00051-TWP-WGH
File Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Plaintiff: Liquid Palace, LLC, Robert W. Kaiser, Jr.
Plaintiff Counsel: H. Kevin Eddins, Kevin J. Fiet
Defendant: E Liquid Palace, Austin Simon, Russell Simon
Defendant Counsel: Loren T. Prizant, Robert John Theuerkauf
Cause: Trademark Infringement, Common Law Trademark Infringement, Intentional Interference with Prospective Business Advantage, Intentional Interference with Business Relationships, Unfair Competition, Injunctive Relief
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Tanya Walton Pratt
Referred To: Magistrate Judge William G. Hussmann, Jr.

Indiana Trademark Litigation Update – Best Chairs Incorporated v. Factory Direct Wholesale

09 Friday May 2014

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

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Plaintiff, based in Ferdinand, Indiana, sells chairs and other furniture under the BEST CHAIRS trademark. Defendant is allegedly selling competing furniture products under the BESTCHAIR and BEST CHAIR marks. Despite multiple contacts from Plaintiff, Defendant has refused to refrain from selling under the allegedly infringing mark.

Best Chairs Incorporated v. Factory Direct Wholesale, LLC

Court Case Number: 3:14-cv-00067-RLY-WGH
File Date: Wednesday, May 07, 2014
Plaintiff: Best Chairs Incorporated
Plaintiff Counsel: Amy B. Berge of Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP
Defendant: Factory Direct Wholesale, LLC
Cause: Federal Trademark Counterfeiting, Federal Trademark Infringement, Unfair Competition, False Advertising, False Designation of Origin, State Unfair Competition, Indiana Crime Victims Act
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Richard L. Young
Referred To: Magistrate Judge William G. Hussmann, Jr.

Indiana Copyright Litigation Update – Transcultural C.A.R.E. Associates v. Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation

21 Monday Apr 2014

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

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Plaintiff is the owner of the copyright in a model of cultural competency titled “Cultural Competency in Healthcare Delivery: Have I ‘ASKED’ Myself the Right Questions?”. Defendants, teachers for Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, allegedly used a portion of Plaintiff’s model without permission in a PowerPoint presentation entitled “Culturally Competent Classroom Management” (see Exhibit C below).

The PowerPoint presentation was apparently part of New Teacher Orientation materials. While the Complaint doesn’t elaborate, it’s quite possible the Defendants’ use will qualify for a “fair use” exemption from copyright infringement. Copyright Act Section 107 specifically exempts uses of copyrighted works for, among other things, teaching and scholarship. Defendants’ Answer and/or Motion to Dismiss should provide more detailed information about their use of the Plaintiff’s copyrighted work. Stay tuned for updates.

Josepha Campinha-Bacote d/b/a Transcultural C.A.R.E. Associates v. Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation et al

Court Case Number: 3:14-cv-00056-RLY-WGH
File Date: Friday, April 18, 2014
Plaintiff: Josepha Campinha-Bacote d/b/a Transcultural C.A.R.E. Associates
Plaintiff Counsel: Avonte D. Campinha-Bacote of Campinha-Bacote LLP
Defendant: Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, Dionne Blue, Deborah Hartz
Cause: Copyright Infringement
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Richard L. Young
Referred To: Magistrate Judge William G. Hussmann, Jr.

Complaint:

Exhibit C:

Indiana Copyright Litigation Update – Union Hospital v. Attachmate Corporation

20 Thursday Feb 2014

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

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Plaintiff has been licensing software from Defendant for about 16 years. In response to claims by Defendant that Plaintiff has exceeded the terms of the license (and a corresponding demand for $2 million in compensatory fees/damages), Plaintiff brings this action for declaratory judgment of non-infringement.

Union Hospital, Inc. v. Attachmate Corporation

Court Case Number: 2:14-cv-00045-JMS-WGH
File Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Plaintiff: Union Hospital, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Stephen E. Reynolds, Michael A. Wukmer of Ice Miller LLP
Defendant: Attachmate Corporation
Cause: Declaratory Judgment on Copyright Infringement Claims, Declaratory Judgment on Copyright Infringement Claims for Unregistered Copyrights, Declaratory Judgment on Breach of Contract Claims
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson
Referred To: Magistrate Judge William G. Hussmann, Jr.

Indiana Trademark Litigation Update – Windstream Technologies v. Rambo, LLC

06 Wednesday Nov 2013

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

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Here’s yet another tale of a dealer relationship gone bad. Plaintiff, a California company operating in North Vernon, Indiana, is a wind turbine manufacturer.  Defendant Rambo, LLC, located in Madison, Indiana, was contracted to provide component parts and act as an authorized dealer of Plaintiff’s products in certain territories.

See the Complaint below for the Plaintiff’s version of how things went wrong. Hopefully for the rest of us these parties can sort their differences soon and get back to providing more wind energy for Indiana.

Stay tuned for updates.

Windstream Technologies, Inc. v. Rambo, LLC et al

Court Case Number: 4:13-cv-00180-SEB-WGH
File Date: Tuesday, November 05, 2013
Plaintiff: Windstream Technologies, Inc.
Plaintiff Counsel: Matthew Wilder Lorch of Lorch Law Office, LLC
Defendant: Rambo, LLC, Rambo Montrow Corporation, Rick Keebler, Does 1 through 10
Cause: Federal Unfair Competition, Passing Off, Trademark Infringement, Breach of Contract, Interference with Contract and Prospective Economic Advantage
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Sarah Evans Barker
Referred To: Magistrate Judge William G. Hussmann, Jr.

 

Indiana Copyright Litigation Update – Microsoft Corporation v. Mister HardDrive

09 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in Copyright, Indiana, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Trademark

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Defendants are alleged to have advertised, marketed, installed, offered and distributed unauthorized copies of Microsoft software after Microsoft warned them of the consequences, infringing Microsoft’s copyrights and trademarks.

Microsoft Corporation v. Mister HardDrive et al

Court Case Number: 4:13-cv-00079-TWP-WGH
File Date: Thursday, June 06, 2013
Plaintiff: Microsoft Corporation
Plaintiff Counsel: James Dimos of Frost Brown Todd LLC
Defendant: Mister Harddrive, Mister HardDrive Wipe and Restore, Mark Cady
Cause: Copyright Infringement, Trademark Infringement, False Designation of Origin, False Description and Representation, Common Law Unfair Competition, For Imposition of a Constructive Trust Upon Illegal Profits, Accounting
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Tanya Walton Pratt
Referred To: Magistrate Judge William G. Hussmann, Jr

Indiana Trademark Litigation Update – XP Innovation v. Ian Smith

13 Saturday Apr 2013

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

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This appears to be Indiana’s first “Sponsored” ad case. Anyone who uses Facebook has seen the “Sponsored” ads on the right side of their screen. Those ads are one of the primary ways that Facebook makes money. Similar to the “keyword advertising” cases revolving around Google’s keyword searches, it now appears the time has come to litigate over what constitutes an acceptable use of someone else’s trademark in one of Facebook’s sponsored ads.

Quick summary of the facts:

1. Defendant ran the following Sponsored ad on Facebook:

Dans Comp Ad

2. Clicking the link takes users to a separate website where they complete a survey and enter their name, email and phone number in hopes of winning a free Dan’s Comp bicycle. Due to the prominent use of the Dan’s Comp logo, that website appears to be affiliated with Dan’s Comp (although it is not).

3. Nobody ever wins a bicycle.

4. Dan’s Comp’s reputation is damaged and the consuming public is potentially harmed.

Stay tuned for updates.

XP Innovation LLC v. Ian Smith

Court Case Number: 3:13-cv-00106-RLY-WGH
File Date: Friday, April 12, 2013
Plaintiff: XP Innovation LLC
Plaintiff Counsel: Amie P. Carter, Louis T. Perry of Baker & Daniels
Defendant: Ian Smith
Cause: Trademark Infringement, Unfair Competition and False Designation of Origin, False Advertising, Common Law Unfair Competition and Trademark Infringement
Court: Southern District of Indiana
Judge: Judge Richard L. Young
Referred To: Magistrate Judge William G. Hussmann, Jr.