43(B)log

MAY 19, 2023

Defendants allegedly marketed the My Avastars dolls with a “code” that could be used in the Roblox platform. Looking at the side by side pictures in the complaint, this is a bit hard to swallow, but the evidence of copying/references to Roblox clearly bleed over from the TM side.

Copying 94

Copying False Advertising Social Media Advertising 94

43(B)log

AUGUST 25, 2021

This was allegedly still false and misleading, and First Databank allegedly falsely advertised that it “compile[s]” the relevant information in its database and for its coding determinations from the FDA and from manufacturers, such as Alfasigma. The database does not list any of Defendant’s own products or additional services.

False Advertising 72

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Designs 72

43(B)log

MARCH 28, 2024

Princeton insured Wonderland from 2016-2018 (with a broad exclusion for defamation, invasion of privacy, and various forms of advertising injury in the second year called the Exhibitions and Related Marketing Exclusion), and agreed to defend the club but reserved the right to deny insurance coverage.

Advertising 64

Advertising Advertising Settlement Contracts 64

Technology & Marketing Law Blog

JUNE 18, 2023

And then…the Ninth Circuit got the case again… The Majority Opinion After the Supreme Court cert denial, the district court ruled that Malwarebytes’ “malicious” and “threat” classifications were “non-actionable statements of opinion” and thus could not support a Lanham Act false advertising claim.

Blogging 86

Blogging False Advertising Litigation Marketing 86

43(B)log

JANUARY 12, 2024

Indeed, it continued, “(1) no carbon zero products exit, (2) the dictionary definition of ‘carbon neutral’ describes the use of offsets to balance emissions, and (3) the Product’s website explains evian® water’s approach to reducing and offsetting carbon emissions.”

Marketing 69

Marketing Marketing Advertising Advertising 69

43(B)log

JUNE 15, 2022

19, 2022) The parties compete in the market for energy drinks. VPX (Vital) makes BANG, which now contains creatyl-l-leucine (CLL), “a novel ingredient marketed under the trademark ‘Super Creatine.’ … Defendants claim that CLL is more stable and more bioavailable than other forms of creatine.”

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Contracts 59

43(B)log

MARCH 20, 2023

WatsonSeal Marketing LLC v. WatsonSeal Marketing sued for false advertising under the Lanham Act, tortious interference with business relations under Alabama law, and unjust enrichment under Alabama law, but, having kicked out the Lanham Act claims, the court didn’t proceed any further with the state claims.

False Advertising 60

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Marketing 60

43(B)log

SEPTEMBER 5, 2023

Core-Brace alleged both false advertising and false association from the statements in the design manual and related documents. Core-Brace didn’t need to definitively exclude other reasons, but it needed to identify evidence “demonstrating a nexus between the alleged misrepresentations and its injury.”

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Law Advertising Advertising 59

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 23, 2021

3, 2021) Sultanis alleged that petfood sold as being made with “free-run” poultry and “wild-caught” fish was falsely advertised. Even if the court were to take judicial notice of the Canadian definition, “it is highly implausible that Ms. Champion Petfoods USA Inc., 2021 WL 3373934, No. 21-cv-00162-EMC (N.D.

False Advertising 83

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Marketing 83

43(B)log

JANUARY 20, 2023

18, 2023) T-Mobile’s “Banned Seniors” was a nationwide marketing and advertising campaign intended to attract customers over the age of fifty-five. AT&T did not show likely success on the merits of its Lanham Act false advertising claim and did not receive a preliminary injunction. AT&T Mobility LLC v.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Marketing 59

IP and Legal Filings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

We are now witnessing the era of ‘Greenwashing’ where every other emerging business entity puts out claims on their sustainable practices by using vague terms like ‘eco’, ‘green’ etc in their marketing. The objective is to mislead the consumers knowing well the marketability of this concept.

Branding 76

Branding Brands Branding Trademark 76

Technology & Marketing Law Blog

JANUARY 8, 2024

The court says there can’t be MULTIPLE instances of INITIAL interest confusion: By definition, initial interest confusion is “confusion that creates initial customer interest.” Bye, Goff * Yet More Evidence That Keyword Advertising Lawsuits Are Stupid–Porta-Fab v. However, that issue has already been sent to the jury.

Trademark 78

Trademark Advertising Advertising False Advertising 78

43(B)log

AUGUST 25, 2022

22, 2022) The court here allows an antitrust claim to proceed based in part on allegedly false/misleading statements because they form part of the alleged anticompetitive product-hopping scheme and because the unique characteristics of the drug market make market-based responses to false advertising difficult.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Marketing 59

Technology & Marketing Law Blog

SEPTEMBER 10, 2022

He paid money to get extra visibility for his dating profile and claims he got poor results, so he sued Bumble for false advertising. Bumble made a series of miscues, including several problems with the email notice and the lack of a definitive screenshot of its blocker card. Alkutkar used the dating app Bumble. What went right?

False Advertising 125

False Advertising Marketing Marketing Advertising 125

43(B)log

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

The complaint didn’t identify specific advertising statements that would plausibly misrepresent what the Zestimates were, “or even a particular home estimate produced by the Zestimate tool that allegedly conflicts with the real market value.” CUTPA: Covers both deceptiveness and unfairness.

Government 59

Government Law Advertising Advertising 59

43(B)log

MARCH 29, 2024

The Stop & Shop Wipes, which vary in fragrance and style, are all marketed and sold with bold, prominent font labeling them as “flushable” on the front of the packaging. 93A; Schotte also brought warranty, unjust enrichment, and fraud claims. The court declined to dismiss the complaint.

Law 59

Law Advertising Advertising Branding 59

43(B)log

JANUARY 10, 2023

6, 2023) Norman sued Gerber for allegedly falsely advertising its baby food/infant formula products as “NON GMO Not Made With Genetically Engineered Ingredients” on the front of the package, and also on the back above the ingredients list. Gerber Prods. 2023 WL 122910, No. 21-cv-09940-JSW (N.D.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Marketing 59

43(B)log

JANUARY 18, 2023

The complaint alleged that market research indicates that many Americans prefer foods and drinks with “free from” claims because they believe such products are more natural, healthier, and less processed, and that they are willing to pay more for such products. affirms or promises that such material.

Marketing 106

Marketing Marketing False Advertising Advertising 106

43(B)log

JUNE 20, 2023

I teach that false advertising is probabilistic: if a representation is likely to deceive a substantial number of reasonable consumers, it is deceptive, even if not everyone is misled—but that conclusion is most reliable for competitor-plaintiffs, as this case shows. Anyway, the front label here was ambiguous, not misleading.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Marketing Marketing Advertising 59

43(B)log

MAY 12, 2022

They are: the Unfair Competition Law (UCL); the False Advertising Law (FAL); and the Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA). While they often cover the same conduct in false advertising cases and are cumulative of each other, they have differences. See, e.g., In re Coca-Cola Products Marketing & Sales Practices Litig. (No.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Business 59

Technology & Marketing Law Blog

SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

.” Clearly, the second part of that definition targets Amazon and other major marketplaces, such as eBay, Walmart Marketplace, and Etsy. The first part of the definition includes services with “publicly interactive features that allow for arranging the sale or purchase of goods.”

Trademark 136

Trademark False Advertising Advertising Advertising 136

43(B)log

APRIL 3, 2023

The problem for Defendant is that “collagen,” standing on its own, is not some undefined, amorphous term — there is a widely-accepted scientific definition describing collagen. But Defendant is not free to offer its own definition of “collagen” unsupported by any reliable science in the record.

False Advertising 52

False Advertising Marketing Marketing Advertising 52

LexBlog IP

SEPTEMBER 14, 2022

Securities and Exchange Commission Allison Herren Lee observed that “climate risks and sustainability are critical issues for the investing public and our capital markets.” In February 2022, the National Advertising Division (NAD), oversaw two cases concerning environmental claims. sustainable). million in penalties.

Marketing 52

Marketing Marketing Advertising Advertising 52

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.” False advertising: The allegations identified “merely describe the supposed underlying trademark infringement.”

False Advertising 72

False Advertising Ownership Registration Designs 72

43(B)log

FEBRUARY 18, 2022

Definition should be broader than sale/transportation of goods in commerce. Company claimed to revive an abandoned mark, which allowed them to use marketing materials from the original company and used the original model numbers: leads to a lot of deception. A: False advertising context: FTC/state AGs.

Trademark 59

Trademark False Advertising Fair Use Branding 59

43(B)log

FEBRUARY 28, 2022

24, 2022) Plaintiffs brought the usual California claims in this putative class action challenging use of the term “Health-Ade” to market kombucha-inspired beverages, including Health-Ade Kombucha, Health-Ade Plus, Health-Ade Booch Pop, Health-Ade pop, and Health-Ade Mixers. The dictionary definitions did not dispel that.

Marketing 59

Marketing Marketing Law Branding 59

43(B)log

MAY 19, 2023

Sneed’s argument that “cream” means a dairy product with a high fat content of at least 18% milkfat relied on five dictionary definitions and one FDA regulation. But her complaint recognized the existence of a food substance known as “artificial cream,” where the milkfat is replaced with vegetable oils.

Marketing 59

Marketing Marketing False Advertising Advertising 59

43(B)log

AUGUST 3, 2023

So too w/false advertising. Assumptions skipped over in TM/false advertising analysis.] That’s where disclosure rules need the most attention: definition and relation to what courts are going to do with the registration. It’s market definition. Death closes things off. TESS is a mess.

Registration 52

Registration False Advertising Advertising Advertising 52

43(B)log

OCTOBER 8, 2021

Plaintiffs’ allegations weren’t implausible or inconsistent with dictionary definitions; even the dictionary preferred by S.C. Johnson offered an alternative definition of “toxic” as “extremely harsh, malicious, or harmful.” However, plaintiffs failed to allege that the products were toxic by their own definition.

Marketing 59

Marketing Marketing False Advertising Law 59

43(B)log

MAY 2, 2022

This is important because the proposed settlement of this class action against manufacturers/distributors of Neuriva brain-health-promotion products requires only small changes in marketing claims. This is despite the fact that the underlying complaint alleges that the products do not provide any actual tangible benefits.

Settlement 118

Settlement Advertising Advertising Marketing 118

43(B)log

SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

The dictionary definitions of the words “Peaky” and “Blinders” were not dispositive. False advertising/passing off: Same basic problems. If we got rid of the bizarre idea that Rogers was about artistic works and correctly labeled it as being about commercial speech, courts would do much better. Did Mandabach have valid marks?

Social Media 93

Social Media Television False Advertising Artistic Work 93

43(B)log

MAY 2, 2023

21, 2023) ExeGi sued Brookfield for state and federal false advertising/tortious interference. The parties compete in the market for probiotics. To the extent HPP is marketed as a medical food and deemed a medical food, it is required to be consumed under the supervision of a physician.” .…

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Marketing 59

43(B)log

JANUARY 3, 2023

Allegations: Defendants market a dietary supplement product labeled “100% Wild Alaskan 1000 mg Fish Oil” whose label asserts that it “Contains Fish: Alaskan Walleye Pollock.” Even if dictionary definitions of “fish oil” could be read to encompass the product, that wasn’t relevant at the motion to dismiss stage.

Contracts 108

Contracts Marketing Marketing Law 108

43(B)log

JUNE 16, 2022

After learning that Omaze retained up to 85% of the donated funds, Plaintiffs filed this suit alleging that Omaze’s marketing is deceptive and violates California law.” 22, 2022) Plaintiffs used Omaze’s website to “donate” money to various charities and be entered for chances to win prizes. The court granted the motion to dismiss in part.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Designs 59

43(B)log

OCTOBER 11, 2021

Both sides now claim the other is liable for false advertising, among other claims.” Defendants also allegedly infringed RCI’s trademarks by using photographs of Roberto Coin jewelry and RCI’s logo in Kings Stone’s advertising after RCI terminated the relationship. Instagram ultimately removed the posts.

Marketing 59

Marketing Marketing False Advertising Advertising 59

43(B)log

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

Smith brought claims under NY and other consumer protection laws as well as warranty and other common-law claims, based on Adidas’s marketing of its NHL jerseys as “authentic.” 1, 2023) A non-food case litigated by Spencer Sheehan, just profiled in this New Yorker article.

Licensing 59

Licensing Law Litigation Marketing 59