Category: Intellectual Property Expert Witness
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Marketing Expert’s Consumer Confusion Survey Admitted
Plaintiff Alfwear, Inc. (“Alfwear”) is an outdoor clothing company that sells products under the KÜHL mark. Ibkul is a clothing company specializing in athleisure wear. In November 2021, Alfwear initiated this lawsuit against Ibkul, alleging trademark infringement, unfair competition, and dilution. Alfwear, Inc. has alleged that the sales of apparel using the IBKÜL trademark infringed Plaintiff’s…
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Intellectual Property Expert’s Opinion on Settlement Licenses Excluded
Plaintiffs’ claim for breach of contract is based on a 2001 licensing agreement (“the 2001 License” or “the License”) between Plaintiffs and Defendant Extreme Networks, Inc. (“Extreme”). Plaintiffs retained Mark Chandler to issue an opinion about “agreements and negotiations related to the licensing, development and commercial use of software, copyrights, and other intellectual property.” According…
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Intellectual Property Expert Witness’ Untimely Affirmative Opinions Excluded
X Social Media LLC (“X Social Media”) and X Corp. both use the letter “X” in association with closely related advertising services. Put simply, X Corp. is a social media company that offers tools and services for advertising and generates the majority of its revenue from ads. X Social Media is an advertising agency that…
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Intellectual Property Expert’s Opinion as to a Safer Design for a Splitting Maul Admitted
Plaintiff, Joseph Ferlito purchased a splitting maul (an axe specially designed for splitting wood) from Defendant, Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc. in 2017. Several months later, while the Plaintiff was hanging the maul to store it, the head of the tool detached and struck Plaintiff, causing injuries to his nose and left eye. Plaintiff initiated…
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Intellectual Property Expert’s Opinions may Assist the Jury’s Statutory Damages Determination
Plaintiffs manufacture, market, and sell premium, luxury, and sports eyewear products, including Ray-Ban, Oakley, and Costa. Plaintiffs own several trademarks for these various brands in the United States. Defendants own and operate the Beach Blvd. Flea Market (the “Flea Market”), in Jacksonville. This is a contributory trademark infringement case involving the repeated display and sale…
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Intellectual Property Expert Witness’ Testimony About Trademark Custom and Usage Admitted
This is a trademark infringement case involving the trademarked phrase “Freedom Pop”. Plaintiff Proccor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Proccor”) contended that Defendant GAT Sports infringed upon its alleged trademark for a “Freedom Pop” flavored Pre-Rx pre-workout supplement. GAT Sports essentially argued that the phrase was used in a non-trademark, descriptive, way to describe the flavor of its…
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Intellectual Property Expert Witness’ Testimony Admitted Because it Does Not Invoke the Entire Market Value Rule
Plaintiff Wireless Alliance, LLC (“Plaintiff” or “Wireless Alliance”) brought allegations against Defendants AT&T Mobility LLC, AT&T Services, Inc., and AT&T Corp. (“Defendants” or “AT&T”). Wireless Alliance asserted that AT&T infringed on several United States patents concerning enhancements to cellular networking systems. The patents in question include United States Patent No. 9,144,106 (the “‘106 patent”), Patent…
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Intellectual Property Expert Witness Cannot Cloak her Testimony on Validity with her Experience
EPP and Paveloc both construct and sell “erosion prevention” systems that are used in retaining walls. The systems are made up of interlocking hiocks. EPP has a patent on its “Channel Lock II block” (US Patent No. 8,123,435) (“the 435 patent”). At some point the business relationship soured. Paveloc stopped making the EPP product and began…
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Intellectual Property Expert Witness’ Testimony Excluded Because it Would Not Assist the Jury on the Issue of Functionality
Plaintiff, Southwestern Manufacturing, LLC alleged that it owned the “MULTI WEDGE” trademark in connection with a stylized wedge tool primarily used in the industrial and automotive industries (the “MULTI WEDGE Product”). Plaintiff alleged that it used the mark in commerce since May 2003 and received federal registration of the mark (the “MULTI WEDGE Mark”) on January 17,…
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Intellectual Property Expert Witness’ Report Held to be a Treatise on Copyright Law in a Breach of Contract Case
In 1996, after almost a decade of searching, Intersal, Inc. (“Intersal”), a marine research and recovery company, discovered the storied Queen Anne’s Revenge (“QAR”), flagship of the notorious pirate Blackbeard, off the coast of North Carolina. The vessel reportedly sank near Beaufort Inlet in 1718, and it has been the stuff of legend since. Although…