Opinion ID: 2657202
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Consumer Care

Text: If consumers are likely to exercise a high degree of care in purchasing a certain product, the likelihood of confusion is reduced. Id. at 1160. The district court credited DoubleTap with this factor because consumers are not likely to purchase self-defense ammunition carelessly. Aplee. Br. Att. 20. Hornady argues that it was entitled to a contrary inference, i.e., that consumers purchase the products at issue with little care because they are “relatively inexpensive.” Aplt. Br. 58. What is “relatively inexpensive” is hardly clear, particularly without considerations of the quantity or frequency of consumers’ purchases. Nor do any of our cases take this price-determinative approach. Instead, we focus “on the consumer’s degree of care exercised at the time of purchase” and ask whether the item is one commonly “purchased on impulse.” Sally Beauty, 304 F.3d at 975. Even if the products in this case are “relatively inexpensive” at $13 to $100 a box, 12 Hornady has not presented any evidence that consumers commonly 11 DoubleTap argues that the parties market their products in different ways, but the fact that both DoubleTap and Hornady advertise in some of the same magazines, e.g., American Handgunner and Shooting Illustrated, is sufficient to credit Hornady with this factor. Aplt. Br. 14; Aplt. App. 622-23, 1048. 12 Hornady’s products retail between $13 and $34, and DoubleTap’s products retail between $30 and $100. Aplt. Br. 57. - 17 - succumb to impulses and purchase ammunition carelessly. Indeed, the district court had before it an expert opinion that “the purchase of ammunition would constitute a high involvement purchase decision, that is, one in which the consumer gives careful consideration to both the products and brand names being offered.” Aplt. App. 133. The district court correctly weighed this factor in DoubleTap’s favor.