Source: https://www.cov.com/en/practices-and-industries/practices/litigation-and-investigations/copyright-and-trademark-litigation
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 07:18:11+00:00

Document:
Our global copyright and trademark litigation practice has secured substantial victories in multiple bet-the-company litigation matters of national interest. We have represented plaintiffs and defendants in high stakes litigation for clients across a diverse range of businesses and industries.
Over the past two decades, Covington lawyers have brought or supervised hundreds of civil and criminal copyright-related actions against thousands of infringers throughout the United States and in over 60 countries. These actions range from traditional litigation over substantially similar and counterfeit works to actions against Internet, satellite and broadcast pirates. We have litigated copyright infringement cases in US district and appellate courts and have drafted and submitted amicus briefs on important copyright issues.
Covington has also conceived and implemented copyright-based enforcement campaigns against distributors of gray market products and packaging. We generally deploy small teams of lawyers, utilizing the firm's expertise in copyright law along with its reservoir of knowledge in substantive areas such as new technology, software, sports, media and communications, and luxury goods.
As part of these various efforts, Covington has built and trained a far-reaching network of local counsel and investigators, and has also developed important relationships with public authorities worldwide, including government officials, police, prosecutors, and customs authorities with responsibility for copyright enforcement.
Covington has litigated trademark infringement, trademark dilution, counterfeiting, cyberpiracy, unfair competition, gray market, and rights of publicity cases in courts throughout the United States on behalf of numerous clients, including American Automobile Association (AAA), American Express, Armani, Atari, Bacardi, Cartier, Coty, MasterCard, Microsoft, Montblanc, National Basketball Association (NBA) and its member teams, National Geographic Society (NGS), Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), SPI Group, Sun Life of Canada and Yahoo!.
We also have recovered hundreds of domain names registered by cybersquatters, utilizing enforcement programs featuring court actions, including in rem actions, under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, as well as UDRP proceedings under the arbitration rules adopted by ICANN. We have litigated numerous opposition and cancellation proceedings before the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. In addition to many important litigation victories, we have achieved significant favorable outcomes for our clients through mediation, arbitration, and negotiated settlements.
Represented John Deere in a trademark infringement lawsuit against FIMCO, Inc. for dilution and false designation concerning Deere's iconic green and yellow colors on its towed agricultural equipment. After a one week bench trial, the Judge ruled in favor of Deere on every claim and issued a permanent injunction, prohibiting FIMCO from selling green and yellow agricultural equipment.
Representing SPI Group in a trademark dispute with a designee of the Russian Federation concerning rights to sell Stolichnaya vodka in the United States.
Won a $3.6 million jury verdict in California federal court after a jury found that apparel giant Quiksilver, Inc. willfully infringed World Marketing, Inc.’s longstanding federally registered “VISITOR” brand. Following a six-day jury trial, the eight-member jury unanimously found that Quiksilver willfully infringed World Marketing’s brand after launching its clothing and apparel brand VSTR, which it pronounced “visitor.” World Marketing, a family-owned company based in New York, has been selling clothing and apparel under its registered VISITOR trademark for more than 20 years, including at stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, and Men’s Wearhouse.
Secured a sweeping victory for our clients BMS and Eli Lilly. In 2006, BMS/Lilly hired Consumer Health Information Corporation (“CHIC”) to develop patient education materials for their injectable diabetes drug BYETTA. The contract expressly designated these as works made for hire and assigned CHIC’s interest in these materials to BMS/Lilly. BMS/Lilly later terminated CHIC, and CHIC sued for copyright infringement in D.C. district court in 2008, but voluntarily dismissed the action in 2009. Last July, CHIC sued again in the Southern District of Indiana. In an attempt to avoid the contractual ownership provisions, CHIC alleged “economic duress” and sought rescission. CHIC's infringement claim sought to recover our clients' profits, allegedly “in excess of several billions of dollars.” Judge Pratt dismissed the complaint with prejudice, ruling that two separate statutes of limitation barred CHIC’s infringement claim. First, the Court held that the claim was barred by the Copyright Act’s three-year statute of limitations. The Court accepted Covington’s argument that, because the case turned on ownership, not use, the continuing violation doctrine did not apply. The Court pointedly noted the inequity of allowing CHIC to wait while BMS/Lilly developed a market only to “pounce on the prize” years later. Separately, the Court held that the ownership provisions expressly assigned ownership to BMS/Lilly, and that CHIC’s attempted rescission was barred by California’s four-year statute of limitations. The Court also rejected CHIC’s outrageous attempt to invoke equitable tolling by arguing that its own (former) attorneys had dismissed its 2008 action without its consent and subsequently concealed the dismissal from CHIC.
Representation of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Samsung Electronics America, Inc., and Samsung Networks, Inc. against claims brought by CCP Systems alleging copyright and patent infringement filed in the District of New Jersey.
Representation of The American Automobile Association, Inc. (AAA) in numerous federal and state court actions and arbitration proceedings against third party infringers of AAA’s famous marks.
Represented Chloé in trademark litigation in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida concerning defendant’s use of the CHLOÉ mark for women’s clothing offered for sale on its website and for a women’s clothing store.
Plaintiff in Successful Rehearing in Toney v. L'Oreal USA, Inc.
Represented plaintiff in successful rehearing in Toney v. L'Oreal USA, Inc., 406 F.3d 905 (7th Cir. 2005), concerning Copyright Act preemption of state rights of publicity.
Obtained dismissal with prejudice of two cases against pharmaceutical companies alleging false advertising, unfair competition, and fraud claims. Jarrett v. InterMune (9th Cir. 2011); Ostergard v. Adams Respiratory Therapeutics, Inc. (C.D. Cal. 2008).
Representation of sanofi aventis in a trademark infringement and false advertising suit involving its FERRLECIT product and Watson Pharmaceutical’s use and advertising of NULECIT.
Representation of Armani in trademark litigation in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to recover the ARMANI.COM domain name from a man whose initials and last name are A.R. Mani.
Representation of American Petroleum Institute against false advertising claims based on its protocol for certification of branded motor oils that were tried in a preliminary injunction proceeding in the Southern District of New York.
Representation of ASM Modular in false advertising litigation against a competitor in the modular flooring business in the District of Maryland.
Representation of Bradley Pharmaceuticals in trademark litigation, including a preliminary injunction hearing, involving the KERALAC mark in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Representation of Bacardi in its defense of a false advertising lawsuit concerning HAVANA CLUB rum in the District Court of Delaware.
Representation of American Institute of Physics and the American Physical Society against false advertising claims based on their comparative surveys of scientific journals that were tried in the Southern District of New York.
Representation of InterMune against a false advertising claim brought under Section 17200 of the California Business & Professions Code in the Northern District of California.
Representation of Adams Laboratories in a false advertising action challenging pharmaceutical advertisements by Carolina Pharmaceuticals in the Southern District of New York.
Representation of Parfums Givenchy in federal court litigation to enjoin over 40 wholesalers and retailers from distributing gray market perfume products bearing copyrighted designs not authorized for importation into the United States.
Representation of Out RAGE, LLC in a trademark infringement action against Barnett Outdoors, LLC in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Georgia in connection with Barnett’s use of the RAGE trademark for a crossbow.
Represented hair brush company in obtaining preliminary injunction against rival based on trade dress and design patent.
Representation of International Dairy Foods Association against a class action in Virginia state court alleging deceptive marketing of the potential weight-loss benefits of consuming milk.
Representation of McGraw-Hill and other major textbook publishers in gray goods trademark and copyright litigation in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York to prevent the illegal importation and sale over the Internet of textbooks published abroad and not intended for sale in the United States.
Representation of Microsoft as a defendant in trademark infringement suits challenging keyword advertising practices and alleging reverse confusion.
Representation of Microsoft in defeating copyright infringement claims concerning Bing search engine at pleading stage. Blues Destiny v. Microsoft Corp. (N.D. Fla. 2010).
Represented Samsung in defeating right of publicity action brought by Olympic athletes.
Representing Samsung in defending copyright and patent claims concerning printer software.
Representation of Rosie O’Donnell in an action in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon asserting trademark and right of publicity claims based on the ROSIE name and logo against a radio station using ROSIE as the station name and a very similar logo.
Representation of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) against false advertising claims based on a KFC promotion that were asserted as a class action in the Western District of Virginia.
Representation of Corbis Corporation in numerous copyright enforcement actions to enforce rights in images licensed by Corbis.
Defeated defamation claims at pleading stage under California Anti-SLAPP statute. Troy Group, Inc. v. Tilson, 364 F. Supp. 2d 1149 (C.D. Cal. 2005).
Advised Cartier in an in rem action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to recover more than 100 infringing CARTIER domain names.
Representation of Aristocrat Technologies Inc. in patent and trademark litigation brought by Bally Technologies relating to gaming devices; and patent infringement litigation brought by IGT in a case involving 32 patents directed at various aspects of gaming devices, in addition to other significant patent litigation.
Representation of Cartier in an in rem action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to recover more than 100 infringing CARTIER domain names.
Representation of Chloé in trademark litigation in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida concerning defendant’s use of the CHLOÉ mark for women’s clothing offered for sale on its website and for a women’s clothing store.
Representation of Danish company ROCKWOOL Group in trademark infringement litigation in China involving its claim to the “ROCKWOOL” trademark and trade name.

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