Opinion ID: 506117
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Elements of Federal Trademark Infringement and Unfair Competition Claims.

Text: 8 A claim of federal trademark infringement may be brought against any person who shall, without consent of the holder of the registered trademark, 9 use in commerce any reproduction, counterfeit, copy, or colorable imitation of a registered mark in connection with the sale, offering for sale, distribution, or advertising of any goods or services on or in connection with which such use is likely to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive ... 10 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1114(1)(a). Neither actual confusion nor intent is necessary to a finding of likelihood of confusion. J.B. Williams Co. v. Le Conte Cosmetics, 523 F.2d 187, 191 n. 5, 6 (9th Cir.1975), cert. denied, 424 U.S. 913, 96 S.Ct. 1110, 47 L.Ed.2d 317 (1976). 11 Section 43 of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1125(a), provides a cause of action for anyone injured by unfair competition: 12 (a) Any person who shall affix, apply, or annex, or use in connection with any goods or services ... any false description or representation, including words or other symbols tending falsely to describe or represent the same ... shall be liable to a civil action by ... any person who believes that he is or is likely to be damaged by the use of any such false description or representation. 13 The ultimate test for unfair competition is exactly the same as for trademark infringement: whether the public is likely to be deceived or confused by the similarity of the marks. New West Corp. v. NYM Co. of California, 595 F.2d 1194, 1201 (9th Cir.1979) (citations omitted). 14