JD Supra Law

JUNE 22, 2023

In a case originally based on a false advertising claim under § 43(a) of the Lanham Act, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded the district court’s dismissal of the claim. Enigma Software Group USA, LLC v. Malwarebytes, Inc., 21-16466 (9th Cir.

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43(B)log

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

30, 2024) (R&R) Recommendation: Dastar should block Qingdao’s Lanham Act false advertising counterclaims based on Lashify’s claim to be the originator of lash technology, but false patent marking counterclaims should survive. Qingdao Lashbeauty Cosmetic Co., 2024 WL 629985, No. W-22-CV-00776-ADA-DTG, No. 1, 2017 to Apr.

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43(B)log

OCTOBER 5, 2021

28, 2021) Mostly this case is about other things, but the court finds a duty to defend in the underlying false advertising case. Luxottica was sued in a class action alleging that its AccuFit system for prescription eyeglasses was falsely advertised as more accurate.

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LexBlog IP

DECEMBER 19, 2023

Companies spend an immense amount of time on advertising and sending out messages to consumers. But can competitors turn that dislike into a claim for false advertising under the Lanham Act? Competitors often do not like or agree with those messages.

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43(B)log

JANUARY 13, 2023

11, 2023) Plaintiff alleged that defendant MGD advertises and sells milk that is one hundred percent from cows outside of Hawai‘i. Plaintiffs’ claims sought to hold the dairy farmers directly or contributorily liable under the Lanham Act, and alleged unfair competition/false advertising/deceptive trade practices under Hawaii law.

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43(B)log

MARCH 16, 2023

Despite Romag , the court declines to award disgorgement or fees in this false advertising case. A jury found that Harbor Breeze proved all elements of liability for false advertising but awarded $0 in damages and profits. And they used the phrase “Feel the Harbor Breezes” in a pay-per-click advertisement on Google.

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43(B)log

DECEMBER 10, 2021

This allowed McCormick to advertise what seemed like an attractive lower price and charge more. Thus, for disgorgement of profits, a plaintiff need only show the defendant’s “sales of the allegedly falsely advertised products,” after which the burden shifts to the defendant to prove “any costs or deductions.” Edriver Inc.,

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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. But Defendants have brought on themselves these unfortunate consequences through their false advertising.”

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43(B)log

SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

14, 2021) Dawgs alleged that Crocs falsely marketed its shoes in violation of the Lanham Act by advertising Croslite, the foam material that Crocs shoes are made from, as “patented,” “proprietary,” and “exclusive.” Effervescent, Inc., 2021 WL 4170997, No. 06-cv-00605-PAB-KMT, No. 16-cv-02004-PAB-KMT (D.

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43(B)log

DECEMBER 12, 2022

6, 2022) The district court reverses the bankruptcy court ruling ( discussed here ) that held that false advertising had interfered with the debtor’s estate in violation of the automatic stay. The back of the advertisement said, among other things, “Windstream’s future is unknown, but Spectrum is here to stay.”

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43(B)log

JUNE 9, 2021

Carrier & Rebecca Tushnet, An Antitrust Framework for False Advertising , 106 Iowa L. 1841 (2021) From the introduction: Federal law presumes that false advertising harms competition. Federal law also presumes that false advertising is harmless or even helpful to competition. This makes no sense.

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Technology & Marketing Law Blog

DECEMBER 10, 2023

The court says that Amazon “easily satisfies” this factor: Plaintiff’s claims are all based on the theory that Defendants ‘continue to allow unlawful sellers to maintain their accounts’ and ‘permit them to advertise’ on Defendants’ website. This argument has failed so many times. Google opinion.

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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. Also, a company’s belief that its advertising is important and profitable “is not evidence that the advertising actually had that effect.”

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43(B)log

APRIL 18, 2023

ZimVie intervened and counterclaimed for declaratory judgment of invalidity, cancellation fo the color marks registration, declaratory judgment of noninfringement, false advertising under the Lanham Act and California law, and tortious interference. ZimVie responded that the commercial speech exception applied.

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Technology & Marketing Law Blog

SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

Also, there should not be a “use in commerce” when the advertiser (here, Troia) doesn’t actually offer any goods or services in the marketplace. As the court says later, “it seems unlikely that an Internet user who reads defendant’s advertisements would believe that they belong to or are endorsed by plaintiffs.”

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43(B)log

JUNE 29, 2023

Vitamins Online sued Heartwise under the Lanham Act and Utah’s Unfair Competition Law for false advertising about the ingredients of its competitive nutritional supplements and manipulating those products’ Amazon reviews. NatureWise’s products advertised that they met the same Dr. Oz-endorsed requirements. Heartwise, Inc.,

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43(B)log

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

The advertising bit: Defendants allegedly misled New York customers into “believing that unfinished frames and receivers are legal workarounds to New York’s gun control laws, as well as federal law.” came in the midst of other advertising language, such as “Various colors available,” and “no RED TAPE. It was not. NO Registering.

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43(B)log

MAY 22, 2023

May 17, 2023) The court grants these timeshare plaintiffs’ motion for a bench trial, ruling that the Seventh Amendment doesn’t guarantee a jury trial in a false advertising case where the plaintiffs seek only equitable remedies. Timeshare Lawyers P.A., 2023 WL 3510374, No. 20-24681-Civ-Scola (S.D. Hard Candy, Ltd.

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JD Supra Law

APRIL 3, 2024

At the National Advising Division (NAD), competitors will sometimes go for the brass ring, the big prize, the whole enchilada, and ask the NAD to recommend that an advertiser’s trademarked slogan or even the brand name be discontinued. By: BakerHostetler

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LexBlog IP

FEBRUARY 21, 2023

Universal City Studios, LLC , the United States District Court for the Central District of California refused to dismiss Woulfe’s false advertising claims, finding that a deceptive movie trailer can form the basis of false advertising claims and that trailers are not necessarily immune from suit by the First Amendment because trailers are commercial (..)

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43(B)log

APRIL 25, 2022

25, 2022) I know it probably seems sometimes like I approve of every expansive use of false advertising law, but sometimes even I find an aggressive position to go too far. It is enough if a defendant provides “a necessary product or service, without which the false advertising would not be possible.”

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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.’” The First Amendment has long coexisted with no-fault false advertising laws. The California Supreme Court reversed.

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43(B)log

APRIL 29, 2022

22, 2022) Part of a larger dispute; the National Association of Realtors (NAR) counterclaimed against REX for false advertising in violation of the Lanham Act. However, NAR didn’t allege that any consumers or brokers have withheld trade from NAR as a result of the advertisements. Zillow, Inc., 2022 WL 1203742, No.

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43(B)log

OCTOBER 29, 2021

27, 2021) Ideavillage sued CCB for trademark infringement and false designation of origin related to Ideavillage’s “Copper Fit” line of copper-infused compression garments. Here, the court granted leave to amend to add a false advertising claim. Materials revealed in discovery can support a finding of good cause.

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43(B)log

OCTOBER 11, 2022

Boston Suburban allegedly continued to use the “Logan Car Service” mark in online keyword advertising and in metatags, and continued to copy customer reviews from Boston Carriage’s website and publish them on online review platforms.

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43(B)log

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

2, 2021) Rex sued Zillow and the National Association of Realtors for antitrust and false advertising violations. Surprisingly, the antitrust claims survive, as do false advertising claims agains Zillow. Lanham Act claim: Was this commercial advertising or promotion? C21-312 TSZ, 2021 WL 3930694 (W.D.

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43(B)log

MARCH 9, 2022

False designation of origin/false advertising: Lasoff v. And it dismissed false advertising claims as “duplicative of his infringement claim.” Amazon.com, Inc., App’x 400, 401 (9th Cir.

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43(B)log

JANUARY 23, 2023

OSD’s signal-to-noise statement was literally false because it advertised its amplifier as having 115 decibels on numerous websites even though OSD said in other statements under penalty of perjury that the signal-to-noise ratio was 104 decibels, and it didn’t submit test results or objective evidence that it was 115.

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43(B)log

OCTOBER 12, 2021

7, 2021) Quidel appealed the grant of summary judgment to Siemens on Quidel’s Lanham Act false advertising claims and related state claims. Quidel alleged that Siemens advertised (1) but provided (2). And there was no triable issue on actual injury based on allegedly false advertising to the physicians.

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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

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43(B)log

MARCH 9, 2022

A jury found that defendants had engaged in materially false or misleading advertising about the parties’ competing whale-watching-cruise business in violation of the Lanham Act, but the jury awarded $0 in actual damages. Newport Landing Sportfishing, Inc., 4th -, 2022 WL 664918, No. 19-56138 (9th Cir.

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43(B)log

AUGUST 9, 2021

Here, plaintiffs alleged that TFL and Nelson had actual knowledge: they knew how the fraudulent scheme worked, that they were shipping products sold using deceptive and unfair advertising, that the ads and websites were false and misleading, and the nature of the tortious conduct being committed by Beyond Global and Doe defendants.

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43(B)log

MARCH 4, 2022

for falsely advertising them as “flushable” under California’s CLRA/UCL/FAL, NY’s GBL, Illinois’s ICFA, and breach of warranty. Dude Prods., 2022 WL 621815, No. 21-cv-00682 (N.D. 3, 2022) Plaintiffs sued the makers of Dude Wipes [I really must ask: are men ok?]

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JD Supra Law

MARCH 31, 2022

The US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed a district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of a defendant baker on a trade dress infringement claim and reversed the district court’s denial of the defendant baker’s motions for judgment as a matter of law on trade secrets misappropriation and false advertising claims.

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43(B)log

APRIL 25, 2022

The plaintiffs alleged that the stamps themselves were “a powerful form of advertising because they allow the Brazilian plywood companies to market their products as conforming to an important American safety standard.” pictures of not-good plywood from case Plaintiffs alleged both direct and contributory false advertising.

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43(B)log

NOVEMBER 19, 2021

To borrow a metaphor that could have been written for this case, the producer’s advertising in the United States is a “complete fraud from bark to core.” That the producer defrauded consumers is of no moment for antidumping purposes, as the Department lacks jurisdiction to police false advertising violations. Int’l Trade Nov.

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43(B)log

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

4, 2023) McCracken alleged that SlimFast food products were falsely advertised as “CLINICALLY PROVEN [ – ] LOSE WEIGHT & KEEP IT OFF” on the front of their packaging. McCracken v. KSF Acquisition Corp., 2023 WL 5667869, No. 5:22-cv-01666-SB-SHK (C.D.

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