Category: Marketing Expert Witness
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Marketing Expert’s Post-Sale Confusion Survey is Admissible
Think Green Limited (“Think Green”) has taken Medela AG and Medela LLC (“Medela”) to Court, accusing them of infringing on the trade dress rights it holds in its breast pump and misleading consumers through false advertising. Rhonda J. Harper, a Think Green expert witness in areas involving marketing, branding, and consumer research, used various analytical…
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Marketing Expert’s Testimony on Consumers’ Perceptions Admitted
This case centered on a trademark dispute involving the mark IDHAYAM, which means “heart” in Indian languages and was used in connection with sesame oil sales. Defendant Meenakshi Overseas LLC sold sesame oil under the IDHAYAM name and held a federal trademark registration for it. Plaintiff V.V.V. & Sons Edible Oils Limited, who also marketed…
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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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Marketing Expert Witness’ Testimony on Consumer Perceptions Excluded Because His Survey is Flawed
Plaintiff Multiple Energy Technologies, LLC (“MET”) accused Under Armour of false advertising in relation to certain products that contain bioceramic powder. MET contended that Under Armour inaccurately claimed that the Federal Food and Drug Administration had determined that those products enhanced recovery. Under Armour sells activewear and sleepwear products directly to consumers. This includes the…
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Marketing Expert Witness’ Testimony on Consumer Confusion Deemed Speculative
Plaintiff IEP Technologies, LLC brought this action against Defendants KPM Analytics, Incorporated f/k/a Statera Analytics, Incorporated and KPM Analytics North America Corporation f/k/a Process Sensors Corporation (collectively “KPM”) for allegedly violating IEP’s trademark. The complaint asserts violations of the Lanham Act, besides a claim for common law trademark infringement and unfair competition. Genuine disputes of material…
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Marketing Expert Witness Allowed to Testify Despite Her Relative Inexperience in the Field of Trademark Law
This case concerns use of the term “XHALE” in connection with identical retail smoke shop services, marketing through the same channels, to the same customer base, and in Hattiesburg, on the same street, resulting in rampant actual confusion. Plaintiff Green Rush, LLC, d/b/a Xhale City claims that its federal trademark registration for “XHALE CITY” not…
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Court Will Not Preclude Marketing Expert Witness From Testifying at Trial on the Basis of Untimely Disclosure
On May 20, 2020, Plaintiffs filed the complaint initiating this action against Defendants for allegedly conspiring to acquire Plaintiffs’ personal and private records from the California Department of Motor Vehicles for the purpose of sending them letters to solicit business in the form of legal representation for litigation against sellers of vehicles they had purchased. …
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Marketing Expert Witness’ Testimony on Students’ Exposure to Fraudulent Rankings Admitted
Plaintiffs Iola Favell, Sue Zarnowski, Mariah Cummings, and Ahmad Murtada (“Plaintiffs”) alleged that Defendant University of Southern California (“USC”) engaged in a scheme to artificially inflate the U.S. News & World Report (“US News”) ranking of USC’s Rossier School of Education (“USC Rossier”) by submitting incomplete data to US News — and then marketed that…
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Court Finds No Statement in the Marketing Expert Witness’ Survey to be Misleading
The underlying case concerns the alleged release of toxic chemicals from a manufacturing facility in Canoga Park between 1968 and 1970 by Litton Systems, Inc., an entity now owned by Defendants Northrop Grumman Corporation and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (“Northrop Grumman”). Plaintiffs moved for class certification on their claims for negligence, private nuisance, and trespass…
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Marketing Expert Witness’ Testimony About the Digital Marketing Strategy Employed and Its Potential Returns Excluded
Plaintiff La Canada Ventures, Inc., is a health and beauty retailer offering cosmetic products. Defendant MDalgorithms is a company that offers computer software and app technology for education and advice about the treatment of acne. Both parties create and market skin and haircare products with the root mark “MD.” Plaintiff brought this action against Defendant,…
