43(B)log

APRIL 25, 2022

pictures of not-good plywood from case Plaintiffs alleged both direct and contributory false advertising. Defendants challenged whether plaintiffs identified any false or misleading statements by defendants. In Baldino’s Lock & Key Serv., Google, Inc., App’x 81 (4th Cir.

False Advertising 72

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Licensing 72

43(B)log

AUGUST 27, 2021

Plaintiffs allegd both direct and contributory false advertising, which requires (1) that the “third party in fact directly engaged in false advertising that injured the plaintiff” and (2) “that the defendant contributed to that conduct either by knowingly inducing, or causing the conduct, or by materially participating in it.”

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Business 59

43(B)log

AUGUST 9, 2021

Similarly, “ordinary business transactions” can satisfy the substantial assistance element of an aiding and abetting claim “if the [defendant] actually knew those transactions were assisting the [principal] in committing a specific tort. Defendants argued that they merely licensed legitimate, commercial software for lawful use only.

False Advertising 69

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Designs 69

43(B)log

JULY 21, 2023

but also narrows the issues somewhat; the larger infringement, cybersquatting, and false advertising claims can’t be resolved on summary judgment. Axon sued for infringement of the Taser word and design marks and for holding Taser-related domain names for ransom. logos on their materials to identify their social media accounts.

False Advertising 52

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Social Media 52

43(B)log

JUNE 17, 2022

7, 2022) The court upheld a contempt finding based on an underlying false advertising claim. The district court found that these violations caused harm because they “were designed to create a false continuity between Italian VSL#3 and the De Simone Formulation so that VSL#3 could keep its prior customers and potentially poach new ones.”

False Advertising 64

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Litigation 64

43(B)log

OCTOBER 6, 2021

17, 2020) A lot of stuff here; I will ignore the non-false advertising related aspects of this mostly antitrust case. The court says the usual not-good things about false advertising’s relationship to antitrust, unfortunately: Deceptive speech usually doesn’t violate antitrust laws. 17-md-2785-DDC-TJJ (D.

False Advertising 45

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Marketing 45

43(B)log

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

It has more than 400 commercial customers, including global enterprises such as Walmart, Comcast, Cisco, and eBay, and also does substantial business with government agencies, including US agencies. Summary judgment granted on state and federal false advertising claims. False designation of origin: Yep.

False Advertising 64

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Licensing 64

43(B)log

JULY 24, 2023

Injury: Damages and disgorgement under the Lanham Act require injury (for false advertising, not trademark infringement, despite the same statutory language covering both; no, I am not going to stop pointing this out any time soon). And economic analysis is a valid means of proving an injury caused by false advertising.

False Advertising 92

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Marketing 92

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

APRIL 15, 2024

GMP owns two federally registered trademarks: the “GOOD MEAT” standard character mark and the “GOOD MEAT BREAKDOWN” design mark. The court denies a preliminary injunction on the trademark claims based on lack of likely success on the merits, but declines to dismiss either infringement or false advertising claims.

False Advertising 64

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Marketing 64

Indiana Intellectual Property Law

OCTOBER 27, 2023

1114(1) , unfair competition , use of false designations of origin and false advertising under 15 U.S.C. 6,600,065 ) for the Yellow Handle Design specifically for “liquid handling products for commercial, industrial and agricultural use, namely control valves for regulating the flow of liquids in hoses and pipes.”

False Advertising 52

False Advertising Trademark Advertising Advertising 52

43(B)log

AUGUST 26, 2021

2, 2021) Allied, aka Republic, “provides waste and recycling services to business and residential customers in the Kansas City metropolitan area.” This equipment is designed and constructed only to collect a customer’s ordinary waste. Republic alleged tortious interference, trespass/conversion, and false advertising claims.

False Advertising 72

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Business 72

43(B)log

OCTOBER 29, 2021

11, 2021) A rare bankruptcy/false advertising interaction. Of relevance here, Everlog argued that the false advertising damages were nondischargeable in bankruptcy. BTL argued that summary judgment was inappropriate because the district court didn’t consider whether the false advertising was “malicious.”

False Advertising 72

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Litigation 72

43(B)log

MARCH 6, 2024

1, 2024) “Qoins is a financial technology company that collects funds from its customers and disburses payments to designated creditors in order to help its customers pay off their debts.” But SouthState did have standing for a false advertising claim. Qoins Technologies, Inc., 3d -, 2024 WL 911075, No. 1:22-CV-5020-MHC (N.D.

False Advertising 45

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Business 45

43(B)log

FEBRUARY 4, 2022

2, 2022) The parties have a dispute over control of a fashion business. But the complaint didn’t actually allege that defendants advertised items from “The Line,” only that they sold them. Second, more fundamentally, this was conversion/breach of contract, not false advertising. ML Fashion, LLC v. Nobelle GW, LLC, No.

False Advertising 83

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Designs 83

43(B)log

MAY 19, 2023

Its TOS provide that users will not use Roblox content outside of the Roblox Platform, monetize Roblox content, or imply an association with Roblox for their businesses outside of the Roblox Platform. Roblox authorized plaintiff Jazwares to manufacture “Avatar Figurines,” real-world toys based on the digital Avatars.

Copying 94

Copying False Advertising Social Media Advertising 94

43(B)log

AUGUST 25, 2021

Plaintiff alleges that subscribers “universally understand[ ] that a product designated ‘O’ is an [over-the-counter (“OTC”) ] drug, available over-the-counter and without physician supervision.” Although Alfasigma’s products were historically designated as F, First Databank reclassified them as O.

False Advertising 72

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Designs 72

Indiana Intellectual Property Law

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

Per Plaintiff’s website, MaddenCo is a privately held family business and has been for over 40 years. They develop and support integrated software systems for tire dealers and truck stop service centers.

False Advertising 52

False Advertising Confidentiality Copyright Infringement Contracts 52

43(B)log

JANUARY 3, 2024

28, 2023) Penn Engineering designs and manufactures various types of fasteners sold under various trademarks, and alleged that Peninsula sold identical fasteners while infringing on Penn Engineering’s marks. The court grants partial summary judgment on trademark claims but reserves some, and a false advertising claim, for trial.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Trademark 59

Technology & Marketing Law Blog

JANUARY 19, 2023

Despite the rhetorical moves to position the lawsuit about the defendants’ design choices, this is actually an easy case. ” The defendants successfully defend on Section 230 grounds. ” The defendants successfully defend on Section 230 grounds. ICS Provider. “Plaintiffs do not meaningfully challenge Defendants’ status.”

False Advertising 87

False Advertising Social Media Publishing Advertising 87

43(B)log

JUNE 6, 2023

Enigma sued its competitor Malwarebytes for Lanham Act false advertising and NY business torts for designating its products as “malicious,” “threats,” and “potentially unwanted programs” (PUPs). The district court dismissed the complaint on the grounds that these designations were “non-actionable statements of opinion.”

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Business 59

43(B)log

OCTOBER 31, 2022

27, 2022) A rare tortious interference/business defamation case that results in a preliminary injunction (converted from a TRO), based on claims of patent infringement made to plaintiff’s customers. Nu Tsai Capital LLC, NO. 8:22CV314, 2022 WL 15523245 (D. This requires that infringement claims be objectively baseless.

Patent Infringement 90

Patent Infringement Patent False Advertising Business 90

43(B)log

SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

Marchese formed defendant Family Markets for the stated purpose of carrying out a retail supermarket business. Perhaps overreacting, Wakefern sued for trademark infringement and false advertising in violation of the Lanham Act and violation of state unfair competition law, which is coextensive and thus disappears from our story.

False Advertising 45

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Marketing 45

43(B)log

MAY 7, 2024

In addition, requiring consumers to check online “also seems antithetical to the experience offered by defendant to the public, as described on another section of its website:… We like to think we’re really in the business of making people happy. It’s all about what we call the 10-Minute Vacation®.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Branding 59

43(B)log

APRIL 25, 2023

21, 2023) In two opinions on the same day, the court dealt with various IP/false advertising claims brought by one litter box seller against another. Motion to dismiss denied as to trademark infringement, false designation of origin, and unfair competition claims based on the use of Smarty Pear’s hashtags.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Social Media 59

43(B)log

JUNE 15, 2022

Netaifm alleged that defendants engaged in anticompetitive market behavior when the Jain entities acquired majority shares of two local design firms, which connect manufacturers to growers, and alleged false advertising. Jain is Netafim’s largest competitor. Jain had approximately $25 million in Central Valley sales in 2016.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Blogging 59

43(B)log

MARCH 20, 2023

15, 2023) When is informational material related to a for-profit company’s business commercial speech? WatsonSeal is “in the business of crawl space and basement performance products.” Here, the court finds a YouTube video noncommercial despite some reasonably solid connections to profit-seeking.

False Advertising 60

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Marketing 60

43(B)log

OCTOBER 24, 2023

43(a) false designation of origin/false advertising: Lexmark applied to both, and Reed failed to present evidence that she suffered an injury to a commercial interest in sales or business reputation proximately caused by the defendants’ misrepresentations.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Ownership Service Mark Advertising 59

43(B)log

JULY 20, 2022

15, 2022) The parties in this case are former business associates, which is one reason there are so many different claims. Though the parties went forward, “they never signed a formal written document memorializing and defining the nature of their business relationship.” Stubenrauch, 2022 WL 2793579, No. 3:21-cv-00545 (M.D.

False Advertising 72

False Advertising Ownership Registration Designs 72

43(B)log

JULY 6, 2022

Medline used to distribute certain BD products, with provisions intended to protect BD from “potential usurpation of BD’s business,” including requirements that Medline not substitute competitive products as an alternative to BD products. The parties are involved in related patent litigation.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Designs Design Advertising 59

43(B)log

JANUARY 27, 2023

Defendant does business as Spiralverse; it bought lawfully made Steeplechase books and rebound them with spiral binding. (It False advertising: Spiralverse allegedly falsely advertised its version of the Piano Book on Amazon as “new,” despite the rebinding, residue, and front labels. Was this literally false?

Derivative Work 75

Derivative Work False Advertising Advertising Advertising 75

43(B)log

FEBRUARY 3, 2024

Mary Katherine Amerine, Reasonably Careless Consumers in TM & False Advertising How do courts treat consumers in TM and false advertising cases? False advertising uses v different framework: consider the challenged ad as a whole, including disclaimers and qualifying language. Beer Nuts, Bulls’ Eye v.

False Advertising 49

False Advertising Contracts Branding Brands 49

43(B)log

NOVEMBER 27, 2023

MillerKing, a small Chicago law firm that claims to be a direct competitor of DNP, sued DNP for false association and false advertising under the Lanham Act and Illinois state law. DNP advertises that it uses artificial intelligence” rather than “human knowledge.” But DNP isn’t actually licensed to practice law.

False Advertising 49

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Contracts 49

43(B)log

APRIL 27, 2022

PG&E asked Eco to design a “cutout cover” to prevent animals from coming into contact with “cutouts,” a type of electrical device that rests atop utility poles. The resulting ECC-3, which is designed for cutouts made out of porcelain, is Eco’s most successful product and is also sold to other utility companies.

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Reporting 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. UCL: The UCL, California Business and Professions Code § 17200 et seq.,

False Advertising 59

False Advertising Advertising Advertising Business 59

43(B)log

MARCH 6, 2024

5, 2024) Plaintiffs sued defendant (Craftsman) for deceptive business practice claims under both the New York General Business Law (NYGBL), and the Virginia Consumer Protection Act (VCPA), as well as asserting warranty and common law claims. Montgomery v. Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., 2024 WL 939151, No. 23-735-cv (2d Cir.

Advertising 59

Advertising Advertising Business Designs 59

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. The Composite Design Mark registration specifically acknowledged that it made “no claim. apart from the mark as shown.”

Cease and Desist 64

Cease and Desist False Advertising Registration Licensing 64