Delaware Intellectual Property Litigation Blog

JANUARY 8, 2022

January 5, 2022), the Court granted Defendant Next Caller’s post-trial renewed motion for judgment as a matter of law of no false advertising under the Lanham Act and to take away the jury’s award of punitive damages. A copy of the Memorandum Opinion is attached. The Court granted Defendant’s motion for two reasons.

False Advertising 68

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Law 68

43(B)log

MAY 19, 2023

Wowwee sells a line of dolls called “My Avastars,” which plaintiffs allege were “copied directly from Roblox’s Classic Avatars.” Defendants allegedly marketed the My Avastars dolls with a “code” that could be used in the Roblox platform. And defendants’ dolls were “virtually identical” in shape to Roblox’s avatars.

Copying 94

Copying False Advertising Social Media Advertising 94

43(B)log

APRIL 18, 2023

12, 2023) Following a large verdict for Monster on false advertising claims, this opinion discusses extensively the requirements for injunctive relief in false advertising cases. Are lost prospective customers and market share purely economic harms? So too with lost market share. and] expects to complete.

False Advertising 56

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Social Media 56

43(B)log

APRIL 29, 2024

Thingiverse cube Kitchen Cube made and sold copies of the Cube. It advertised “This device was one of the most popular items on a popular 3D printing website with over 20,000 unique downloads” on its website, at a time when Leszczynski’s Thingiverse page displayed that his Cube had been downloaded 20,000 times.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Copyright Infringement 59

43(B)log

APRIL 25, 2023

Republic alleged that HBI, its competitor in the tobacco rolling paper industry, engaged in false advertising under the Lanham Act, unfair competition, and violations of the IUDTPA. The court granted an injunction focusing on the Alcoy claims, which were false. There was no special verdict form.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Law 59

43(B)log

AUGUST 22, 2022

The statements were “commercial advertising meant to sell a product, and generally there ‘can be no constitutional objection to the suppression of commercial messages that do not accurately inform the public.’” Not all marketing of artistic works is noncommercial speech. There was also no copyright preemption.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Artistic Work 59

43(B)log

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

3, 2021) The parties compete in the market for custom landscape design services. “[I]n Along with copyright claims, McCleese asserted Lanham Act false advertising claims. McCleese v. Natorp’s, Inc., 2021 WL 2270511, No. 1:20-cv-118 (S.D. The parties disagree about how and whether they were authorized to do so.

Copying 64

Copying False Advertising Social Media Advertising 64

43(B)log

DECEMBER 18, 2023

15, 2023) Simpson sued its competitor MiTek for using Simpson part numbers for structural connectors/fasteners for use in the construction industry in its catalogs/other promotional material; the court here, after a nonjury trial before the magistrate judge, rather comprehensively rejects its false advertising, trademark, and copyright claims. (It

False Advertising 64

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Copyright 64

LexBlog IP

JANUARY 8, 2022

January 5, 2022), the Court granted Defendant Next Caller’s post-trial renewed motion for judgment as a matter of law of no false advertising under the Lanham Act and to take away the jury’s award of punitive damages. A copy of the Memorandum Opinion is attached. ” Id.

False Advertising 52

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Law 52

43(B)log

JULY 23, 2024

Eric Goldman and I are pleased to announce the seventh edition of our casebook, Advertising & Marketing Law: Cases & Materials. Paperback buyers can get a free PDF file by emailing me a copy of their receipt showing which edition they bought. Preface Chapter 1: Overview Chapter 2: What is an Advertisement?

Editing 52

Editing Advertising Advertising False Advertising 52

IPilogue

DECEMBER 15, 2022

Vogue’s publishers have sued rappers Drake and 21 Savage for unauthorized use of Vogue’s trademarks and false representations in marketing their newest album, “Her Loss”. Photo Credits: Condé Nast ) (Alt text: Screen capture of Drake’s now-deleted Instagram post containing multiple copies of the impugned magazine cover).

Social Media 105

Social Media False Advertising Copying Trademark 105

Delaware Intellectual Property Litigation Blog

MAY 15, 2021

CareDx’s Lanham Act claims were based on allegations that Natera falsely represented that Natera’s Prospera kidney transplant test is superior to CareDx’s Allosure Kidney test. A copy of the Memorandum Opinion is attached. According to CareDx, ‘[u]nder 15 U.S.C.

False Advertising 45

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Copying 45

Copyright Lately

SEPTEMBER 29, 2024

The company claimed the ad’s use of the Crystal Castles cabinet was de minimis —too fleeting and trivial to constitute infringement—and that it was protected under the fair use doctrine, asserting that the commercial had no conceivable impact on the market for Atari’s game.

Fair Use 113

Fair Use Copyright Artwork Social Media 113

The IPKat

JUNE 13, 2022

The non-fungible part means that it is something that has unique value based on the buyer’s sentiment and/or market dynamics. In practice, what this means is that a whole new market has been opened-up as NFTs have provided a system that has enabled the sale of digital items by transforming them into collectables, such as a tweet.

Non-Fungible Tokens 140

Non-Fungible Tokens Advertising Advertising Ownership 140

TorrentFreak

JANUARY 26, 2024

Besides the sticker promos, the plaintiffs also ran into several advertisements on Facebook and even flyers in physical stores throughout Atlanta. Flyers As shown above, these flyers advertised the IPTV streaming service as an “Authorized Retailer” for Dish and Sling, which people could “WATCH FOR $7/mo.”

Cease and Desist 116

Cease and Desist False Advertising Advertising Advertising 116

43(B)log

JULY 19, 2023

13, 2023) Winder, a generic pharma manufacturer, sought insurance coverage for a false advertising lawsuit. Winder argued that Concordia’s complaint alleged a “personal and advertising injury” because it included allegations that Winder copied Concordia’s DONNATAL label inserts. Continental Casualty Company v.

Copying 40

Copying False Advertising Advertising Advertising 40

43(B)log

SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

26, 2021) The parties compete to sell novelty consumer goods; defendant allegedly copied plaintiff’s business model including its product launches, providing its affiliates with Strong Current’s “marketing methods and materials, which include, among other things, product depictions and graphics.”

False Advertising 56

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Marketing 56

43(B)log

DECEMBER 16, 2022

False advertising: Plaintiffs alleged that the following statements from Roup’s website bio were false or misleading: “I knew that there was something missing from the boutique fitness community, so I combined my passion for dance and love for fitness to create The Sculpt Society.

Marketing 45

Marketing Marketing False Advertising Contracts 45

Technology & Marketing Law Blog

JUNE 23, 2024

After remand, the case went back to the Ninth Circuit, which held that anti-threat classifications might be Lanham Act false advertising. Bolger Factor 1: Advertising the first Bolger factor—whether the statements are an advertisement—to fall slightly in favor of the conclusion that the challenged designations are commercial speech.

Law 59

Law False Advertising Advertising Advertising 59

43(B)log

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

2, 2022) Before the jury verdict in favor of Monster’s false advertising claim was this opinion resolving evidentiary issues. They weren’t directly asked about the phrase “Super Creatine,” whether participants had prior experiences with or opinions of Bang, or whether they had seen Vital’s advertising in the market.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Social Media 59

43(B)log

MARCH 6, 2024

1, 2024) NYU Langone sued Northwell for trade dress infringement, unfair competition and false designation of origin, and false advertising under the Lanham Act, as well as related claims under the New York GBL and New York common law. The court dismissed the complaint—the false advertising claims with prejudice.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Reporting 59

43(B)log

DECEMBER 1, 2022

28, 2022) Outlaw lost its bid for a preliminary injunction enjoining Santos, aka OSD Audio, from selling products containing user manuals that allegedly infringed Outlaw’s copyright, falsely represented OSD Audio products’ specifications, and falsely represented that OSD Audio and Outlaw’s products are similar. Prager Univ.

Advertising 49

Advertising Advertising False Advertising Copyright 49

43(B)log

MARCH 21, 2022

Bimbo sells Grandma Sycamore’s Home-Maid Bread; it sued defendants, who include the baker who developed the Grandma Sycamore’s recipe, for trade secret misappropriation, trade dress infringement, and false advertising when it sold a comparable bread product, Grandma Emilie’s, with the tagline “Fresh.

False Advertising 72

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Designs 72

43(B)log

JUNE 22, 2022

Plaintiffs sued for breach of contract under Tennessee common law and false advertising in violation of the Lanham Act. (OK, OK, I’m not a big false endorsement fan, but … isn’t this false endorsement? Plaintiffs terminated an agreement to insure Securranty Inc.’s Insert your own insurance-related pun.)

Advertising 72

Advertising Advertising False Advertising Contracts 72

43(B)log

JULY 20, 2022

They then agreed that Chiusa would create and operate a website, colorcopper.com, marketing and distributing Stubenrauch’s copper sheets “to a new industry for copper countertops, bar tops and kitchen backsplash.” Likewise, at this stage only, the court rejected the argument that plaintiffs failed to plead ownership of the copied elements.

False Advertising 72

False Advertising Ownership Registration Designs 72

Copyright Lately

MARCH 31, 2024

Its lawsuit reeks of an opportunistic attempt to profit from State Farm’s mistake rather than a legitimate effort to protect its copyright from real market harm. Atari asserts claims not only for copyright infringement but also “business disparagement,” unfair competition and false advertising as well.

Copyright 92

Copyright Fair Use Social Media Artwork 92

43(B)log

JULY 3, 2023

But Industria does not advertise or sell its Zenú or Ranchera products in the United States and there are no market surveys specific to the United States for Zenú or Ranchera. In light of the size of the food market, that’s a bit hard to credit. So, did Industria satisfy Lexmark ?

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Registration 59

The IPKat

JANUARY 18, 2023

The claim is for trade mark infringement, unfair competition, false advertising, cybersquatting, and other cause of actions before the Central District of California. In this post, the most interesting parts of Ryder Ripps’ answer, defence and counterclaim , filed on December 27, 2022 will be analyzed.

Artwork 82

Artwork Contracts Art False Advertising 82

43(B)log

FEBRUARY 19, 2022

Businesses harm consumers only in a few ways—false advertising, monopoly prices, defective products. Likewise, essential facilities doctrine, edging toward common carrier—firms that control essential/important bottleneck for market participation can be required to give access. What are you going to do instead, advertise on Bing?

Law 91

Law Branding Brands Branding 91

43(B)log

AUGUST 18, 2022

12, 2022) Many FDA-related false advertising claims about pharmaceuticals are preempted because of the special role FDA plays in regulating them, but not all, as this case explains, applying Pom Wonderful to the pharmaceutical context. Azurity sells a hydrochloride vancomycin drug that received FDA pre-market approval.

False Advertising 45

False Advertising Law Advertising Advertising 45

43(B)log

OCTOBER 5, 2021

8, 2021) When a false advertising case starts this way, you can guess how it will end: “Market competition is good. Competitors are free to copy successful products as long as they do not steal, lie, or mislead.” Sebela Pharmaceuticals Inc. TruPharma, LLC, 2021 WL 4316750, No. 1:20-cv-1677-SB (D.

False Advertising 45

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Copying 45

43(B)log

AUGUST 26, 2022

24, 2022) This seems like a silly result to me, shifting the burden to comparative advertisers, but it's often much harder to get summary judgment in a trademark case than in comparable cases. The parties compete in the industrial fastener market. PennEngineering’s “ceci n’est pas une Ford” theory of counterfeiting falls flat.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Trademark 59

43(B)log

MARCH 10, 2023

24, 2023) Previous decision here —really interesting attack on internet arbitrage; defendant copied Krikor’s eBay memorabilia photos and listed the memorabilia on its own site with a markup; anyone who bought from defendant would actually have defendant buy from Krikor and drop-shipped to the purchaser. Nor was the use of the photos fair use.

False Advertising 45

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Copying 45

43(B)log

AUGUST 18, 2021

were valid and infringed, but the latter wasn’t counterfeited; SMRI’s dilution victory was vacated, but not its victories on deceptive trade practices, ACPA, false advertising, and unfair competition. It was thus barred from equitable relief for its trademark infringement, false advertising, and state deceptive trade practices claims.

Cease and Desist 64

Cease and Desist False Advertising Registration Licensing 64

43(B)log

AUGUST 26, 2021

5, 2021) The plaintiff benefits from very generous treatment of its false designation and copyright claims, in the process stripping false designation of anything other than a prohibition on copying/vitiating both Wal-Mart and Dastar. Simpson sells structural connectors for use in building construction.

Designs 64

Designs Design Copying Copyright Infringement 64

43(B)log

MARCH 4, 2024

29, 2024) Previously, after a bench trial, the court found Albion liable for falsely advertising its caulk dispensing guns as “Made in the USA.” After more evidence, the court found that Albion adequately supported its unclean-hands defense—that Newborn had also made false USA origin claims—until early 2007.

False Advertising 45

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Marketing 45

43(B)log

AUGUST 17, 2021

Plaintiffs sued for false advertising and false endorsement under the Lanham Act, violation of their right to publicity, deceptive trade practices under New York GBL Section 349, and defamation. 2021), which considered all these claims except for false advertising. The court was guided by Electra v. 3d 233 (2d Cir.

Social Media 45

Social Media False Advertising Advertising Advertising 45