Unfair Competition

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In an opinion yesterday, Judge Hellerstein granted summary judgment to the Boy Scouts, and against the Girl Scouts, in a case arising from the Boy Scouts’ decision to use gender-neutral terms like “scout,” to account for its new policy of allowing girls to participate. The Girl Scouts alleged, in essence, that the Boy Scouts’ use of gender-neutral terms would create public confusion about the two organizations (see our prior coverage here).

Judge Hellerstein found that the Girl Scouts did not have a protectable trademark right to “scouting” because the public associates that term with either both organizations, or with the generic concept of “scouting”:
Continue Reading Judge Hellerstein Dismisses Girls Scouts’ Trademark Case Against Boy Scouts Over Gender-Neutral Term “Scouting”

In a complaint Tuesday, the Girl Scouts sued the Boy Scouts for trademark infringement and unfair competition, arising from the Boy Scouts’ recent decision to include girls, and to use gender-neutral terms like “scout,” that will allegedly confuse the public.  From the complaint’s introduction:
Continue Reading Girls Scouts: Boy Scouts’ New Inclusion of Girls, and Use of Gender Neutral Term “Scouts,” Violates Trademark Laws

Today, Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A. filed a complaint against former NFL quarterback Vincent Ferragamo (who led the LA Rams to Super Bowl XIV as a rookie in 1980) and his Ferragamo Winery near Los Angeles.  While Salvatore Ferragamo does not currently license its name for wines, it had previously done so in the U.S. in the 1980s.  Ferragamo (the Italian fashion brand) claims that Ferragamo (the winery) creates consumer confusion and violates Salvatore Ferragamo’s U.S. trademarks:
Continue Reading Salvatore Ferragamo Brings Trademark Claims Against Former NFL Quarterback’s Ferragamo Winery

In an opinion today, Judge McMahon preliminary enjoined a company called Matinee from using the phrase and logo “NYC Pride” to promote events that compete with those of the plaintiff, Heritage, the organizer of the LGBT’s community’s annual gay pride march and rally, which are scheduled for later this month. Matinee’s competing events include a performance by Azealia Banks, a singer who was heavily criticized for making allegedly homophobic comments directed at blogger Perez Hilton, and Judge McMahon found that Heritage would be irreparably harmed by the potential of being wrongly associated with the Banks controversy:
Continue Reading Judge McMahon Issues Preliminary Injunction to Block Unauthorized Use of “NYC Pride” to Promote Competing Pride Week Events