83 THE AMERICAN LAW INSTITUTE Continuing Legal Education Trademarks, Trade Dress, and False Advertising: Recent Developments for Business and IP Lawyers December 4, 2014 Telephone Seminar/Audio Webcast Supreme Court and Circuit Court Cases on Trademarks and Unfair Competition: 2014 in Review By Kenneth B. Germain, Esquire Wood, Herron & Evans, L.L.P. Cincinnati, Ohio
84 SUPREME COURT AND CIRCUIT COURT CASES ON TRADEMARKS AND UNFAIR COMPETITION: 2014 IN REVIEW* Kenneth B. Germain** Wood Herron & Evans LLP * Prepared for the ALI-CLE Teleseminar entitled Trademarks, Trade Dress and False Advertising: Recent Developments for Business and IP Lawyers (December 4, 2014). Copyright 2014 by Kenneth B. Germain. All rights reserved. (N.B.: Many quotations have been edited, sometimes by deleting or abbreviating citations.) ** Of Counsel: Wood Herron & Evans LLP Cincinnati, Ohio E-mail: kgermain@whe-law.com Phone: 513-241-2324 Member: Advisory Board, Bloomberg BNA s Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal; Member: Board of Advisors, ALI s Restatement (Third) of Unfair Competition; Member: Ohio and California Bars. Listed in: The Best Lawyers in America (since 1992-93); Guide to the World s Leading Experts in Trade Mark Law (since 1996); Ohio Super Lawyers (since 2004); Chambers U.S.A. America s Leading Lawyers for Business (since 2004). Founder/Program Chair: All Ohio Annual Institute On Intellectual Property (AOAIOIP) 1989-2013, Program Chair Emeritus (since 2014); Charter Member: Advisory Council, J. Thomas McCarthy Institute for Intellectual Property and Technology Law; Testimonial Expert Witness in numerous trademark/unfair competition cases; available as an Early Neutral Evaluator (ex parte or inter partes) for trademark/unfair competition disputes. Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year 2011 (Intellectual Property Law Cincinnati); Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year 2012 (Trademark Law Cincinnati); Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year 2014 (Litigation Intellectual Property and Trademark Law - Cincinnati); Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year 2015 (Litigation Intellectual Property and Trademark Law - Cincinnati).
85 SIGNIFICANT 2013/2014 SUPREME COURT AND CIRCUIT COURT CASES CONCERNING TRADEMARK AND UNFAIR COMPETITION LAW By: Kenneth B. Germain Table of Contents Part One: Page The Supreme Court Speaks Out on False Advertising Issues...1 1. Lexmark International, Inc. v. Static Control Components, Inc., 572 U.S., 109 U.S.P.Q.2d 2061 (2014), aff g 697 F.3d 387, 104 U.S.P.Q.2d 1352 (6th Cir. 2012)...1 2. Syngenta Seeds, Inc. v. Bunge North America, Inc., 762 F.3d 795, 111 U.S.P.Q.2d 1732 (8 th Cir. 2014)...4 3. POM Wonderful LLC v. Coca-Cola Co., 573 U.S., 110 U.S.P.Q.2d 1877 (2014)...4 Part Two: The Supreme Court Ponders Trademark Issues...6 4. Swatch AG v. Beehive Wholesale, LLC, 739 F.3d 150, 109 U.S.P.Q.2d 1291 (4th Cir. 2014)...6 5. B&B Hardware, Inc. v. Hargis Industries, Inc., 716 F.3d 1020, 106 U.S.P.Q.2d 1660 (8th Cir. 2013), cert. granted, 134 S. Ct. 2899, 2014 U.S. LEXIS 4681 (7/1/2014)...7 6. Hana Financial, Inc. v. Hana Bank, 735 F.3d 1158, 108 U.S.P.Q.2d 1825 (9th Cir. 2013), cert. granted, 2014 U.S. LEXIS 4409 (U.S., June 23, 2014)...9
86 Part Three: The Circuit Courts Rule 9 A. DISTINCTIVENESS OF MARKS 9 7. In re Nordic Naturals, Inc., 755 F.3d 1340, 111 U.S.P.Q.2d 1495 (Fed. Cir. 2014)...9 B. LIKELIHOOD OF CONFUSION 10 8. Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC v. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., 735 F.3d 735, 109 U.S.P.Q.2d 1630 (7th Cir. 2013)... 10 9. Hornady Mfg. Co. v. Doubletap, Inc., 746 F.3d 995, 110 U.S.P.Q.2d 1140 (10th Cir. 2014)... 11 C. ABANDONMENT 12 10. Specht v. Google Inc., 747 F.3d 929, 110 U.S.P.Q.2d 1319 (7th Cir. 2014)... 12 11. Wells Fargo & Co. v. ABD Insurance & Financial Services, Inc., F.3d, U.S.P.Q.2d, 2014 U.S. App. LEXIS 4779 (9th Cir. 2014) 13 D. REGISTRATION 13 12. Lovely Skin, Inc. v. Ishtar Skin Care Products, LLC, 745 F.3d 877, 110 U.S.P.Q.2d 1071 (8th Cir. 2014)... 13 13. Stone Lion Capital Partners, L.P. v. Lion Capital, LLP, 746 F.3d 1317, 110 U.S.P.Q.2d 1157 (Fed. Cir. 2014)...14 14. In re Geller, 751 F.3d 1355, 110 U.S.P.Q.2d 1867 (Fed. Cir. 2014)...15 15. Stoncor Group, Inc. v. Specialty Coatings, Inc., 759 F.3d 1327, 111 U.S.P.Q.2d 1649 (Fed. Cir. 2014)...15-3 -
87 E. TRADE DRESS 16 16. McAirlaids, Inc. v. Kimberly-Clark Corp., 756 F.3d 307, 111 U.S.P.Q.2d 1546 (4th Cir. 2014)... 16 F. DILUTION 17 17. Starbucks Corp. v. Wolfe s Borough Coffee, Inc., 736 F.3d 198, 108 U.S.P.Q.2d 1581 (2d Cir. 2013)...17 18. Swatch AG v. Beehive Wholesale, LLC, 739 F.3d 150, 109 U.S.P.Q.2d 1291 (4th Cir. 2014)...19 G. INJUNCTIVE REMEDIES 19 19. Herb Reed Enters., LLC v. Florida Entm t Mgmt., Inc., 736 F.3d 1239, 108 U.S.P.Q.2d 2004 (9th Cir. 2013)... 19 20. Ferring Pharmaceutical, Inc. v. Watson Pharmaceuticals, 765 F.3d 205, 112 U.S.P.Q.2d 1257 (3d Cir. 2014)...20 21. In re A&F Enterprises, Inc., 742 F.3d 763, U.S.P.Q.2d (7th Cir. 2014)...21 22. Apple, Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., 735 F.3d 1352, 108 U.S.P.Q.2d 1833 (Fed. Cir. 2013)... 22 H. MONETARY REMEDIES 22 23. Merck Eprova AG v. Gnosis S.P.A., 760 F.3d 247, 111 U.S.P.Q.2d 1950 (2d Cir. 2014)...22 24. Fair Winds Sailing, Inc. v. Dempster, 764 F.3d 303, 112 U.S.P.Q.2d 1340 (3d Cir. 2014)...24 25. Experience Hendrix L.L.C. v. Hendrixlicensing.com LTD., 742 F.3d 377, 109 U.S.P.Q.2d 1517 (9th Cir. 2014)...25