Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_04-cv-03115/USCOURTS-cand-5_04-cv-03115-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 830
Nature of Suit: Patent
Cause of Action: 15:1126 Patent Infringement

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

SPORTVISION, INC.,

Plaintiff,

 v.

SPORTSMEDIA TECHNOLOGY

CORPORATION,

Defendant.

 /

NO. C 04-03115 JW 

ORDER GRANTING SPORTSMEDIA’S

MOTION TO MODIFY PARTIAL

SUMMARY JUDGMENT ORDER 

Plaintiff Sportvision, Inc. (“Plaintiff”) initiated this lawsuit against Defendant SportsMEDIA

Technology Corporation (“Defendant”) for patent infringement, trademark infringement and unfair

competition. At issue are the rights to a virtual yellow first-down line used in football game

broadcasts. On August 4, 2005, the Court granted Defendant’s motion for partial summary judgment on

the trademark issues (Counts IV, V, and VI of Plaintiff’s complaint) (“MSJ Order”) (Docket No. 201)

because the Court found that Plaintiff Sportvision “failed to offer sufficient evidence to create a

genuine issue of material fact that its mark is not functional” (MSJ Order at 12:6-7.) and that “no

likelihood of confusion exists between the parties’ virtual first-down line services.” (Id. at 15:24-25.)

Presently before the Court is Defendant’s Motion to Modify Partial Summary Judgment Order

requesting that Plaintiff Sportvision’s trademark registration be cancelled under 15 U.S.C. § 1119

(Count Five in Defendant’s counterclaim) (Docket No. 210). Section 1119 provides that “[i]n any

action involving a registered mark the court may determine the right to registration, order the

Case 5:04-cv-03115-JW Document 248 Filed 10/06/05 Page 1 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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 The Court notes that Defendant, in its Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, requested the

Court to cancel Plaintiff’s Trademark Registration No. 2,622,916. The Court inadvertently failed to

expressly include such cancellation in its prior order.

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cancellation of registrations, in whole or in part. . . .” A trademark registration must be canceled if the

mark is functional. See Gracie v. Gracie, 217 F.3d 1060, 1065-66 (9th Cir.2000) (stating that “[i]n

cases not involving jury trials, district courts have been reversed for refusing to order the cancellation

of registrations for claimed marks found to be incapable of serving as valid marks”).

A hearing on Defendant’s motion was set for October 3, 2005. However, the Court finds it

appropriate to take the motion under submission without oral argument pursuant to Civil Local Rule

7-1(b). Based on the arguments advanced by counsel in their briefs, and in light of the Court’s finding

that Plaintiff’s trademark is functional, Defendant SportsMEDIA’s motion is granted.

Accordingly, the Court hereby modifies the MSJ Order granting Defendant SportsMEDIA’s

Motion for Partial Summary Judgment to include an order for cancellation of U.S. Trademark

Registration No. 2,622,916.1

Dated: October 5, 2005

04cv3115modify

/s/James Ware 

JAMES WARE

United States District Judge

Case 5:04-cv-03115-JW Document 248 Filed 10/06/05 Page 2 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT COPIES OF THIS ORDER HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO:

Larry Vierra lvierra@vmmhd.com

Burt Magen bmagen@vmmhd.com

Laura L. Carroll lcarroll@burnslev.com

Merton E. Thompson mthompson@burnslev.com

Doyle B. Johnson dbjohnson@reedsmith.com

John P. Bovich jbovich@reedsmith.com

Kerry Hopkins khopkins@reedsmith.com

Scott D. Baker sbaker@reedsmith.com

Matthew H. Adler adlerm@pepperlaw.com

Nathan W. Dean deann@pepperlaw.com

Vincent V. Carissimi carissimiv@pepperlaw.com

Dated: October 6, 2005 Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By:__/s/JW Chambers__________

Ronald L. Davis

Courtroom Deputy

Case 5:04-cv-03115-JW Document 248 Filed 10/06/05 Page 3 of 3