Opinion ID: 738246
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Intent of defendant

Text: 53 Plaintiff alleges that defendant intentionally copied its marks. If a party chooses a mark with the intent of causing confusion, that fact alone may be sufficient to justify an inference of confusing similarity. Homeowners Group, 931 F.2d at 1111; see also Esercizio v. Roberts, 944 F.2d 1235, 1242 (6th Cir.1991)(holding the same). Intent is relevant because purposeful copying indicates that the alleged infringer, who has at least as much knowledge as the trier of fact regarding the likelihood of confusion, believes that his copying may divert some business from the senior user. See Little Caesar, 834 F.2d at 572. Direct evidence of intentional copying is not necessary to prove intent. See Wynn Oil II, 943 F.2d at 603. Rather, the use of a contested mark with knowledge of the protected mark at issue can support a finding of intentional copying. See id. Further, the extensive advertising and long-term use of a protected mark can create a presumption that the alleged infringer knew of the protected mark. See id. at 603-04 (finding by district court that defendant intentionally copied was not clearly erroneous, despite testimony that defendant had not known of plaintiff's mark, when defendant had intimate knowledge of the industry and plaintiff had advertised its mark widely and had used it for many years). 54 The District Court found that the record contains no evidence that defendant intentionally mimicked plaintiff's marks. See 913 F.Supp. at 1075. Rather, the District Court determined that the only evidence regarding the intent of defendant indicates that the proprietor of defendant named the store after his own nickname. See id. Further, the District Court ruled that the prior existence of plaintiff's marks and their market exposure were insufficient to support an inference of intentional copying. See id. 55 Plaintiff complains that the record contains circumstantial evidence that defendant intentionally copied its marks. Plaintiff is incorrect to the extent that it is suggesting that the mere prior existence of a registered mark demonstrates that the alleged infringer intentionally copied that mark; otherwise, presumably all trademark infringement cases could result in a finding of intentional copying. Plaintiff, however, is correct that the evidence regarding its market presence constitutes some circumstantial evidence that defendant was aware of its marks. Specifically, the record reveals that plaintiff had $92,551 in sales from its catalog business in Ohio between February and July, 1995, and that it has 1,490 residents of Ohio on its mailing list, including 381 individuals within a thirty-mile radius of defendant. Further, such awareness, if proven, can support an inference of intentional copying. See, e.g., Wynn Oil II, 943 F.2d at 603. 56 Admittedly, the evidence which could support a finding of intentional copying is slight. Nonetheless, this appeal comes before us upon a grant of summary judgment, and the record contains sufficient facts to create an issue regarding whether the owner of defendant knew of plaintiff's marks and intentionally patterned the name of defendant after them. See Champions Golf Club, 78 F.3d at 1121 (despite strong evidence of lack of intent, including several independent reasons articulated by owner of defendant for his choice of mark, intent remained an issue because owner of defendant may have known of plaintiff's prior use of mark); but cf. Induct-O-Matic, 747 F.2d at 365-66 (finding by district court that defendant intentionally copied mark was clearly erroneous because evidence showed only that defendant knew of plaintiff itself and plaintiff had less than $160,000 in annual sales of trademarked equipment in state of defendant; plaintiff's mark at issue, however, differed from the name of plaintiff). 57 Much more importantly, even if the District Court correctly had ruled as a matter of law that defendant did not copy plaintiff's marks intentionally, the District Court misunderstood the legal significance of this lack of intent by finding that it decreased the likelihood of consumer confusion. See 913 F.Supp. at 1075. As noted, the presence of intent can constitute strong evidence of confusion. See, e.g., Homeowners Group, 931 F.2d at 1111. The converse of this proposition, however, is not true: the lack of intent by a defendant is largely irrelevant in determining if consumers likely will be confused as to source. Wynn Oil I, 839 F.2d at 1189 (quoting Lois Sportswear, U.S.A., Inc. v. Levi Strauss & Co., 799 F.2d 867, 875 (2d Cir.1986)); see also Champions Golf Club, 78 F.3d at 1121 (holding the same). Intent therefore is an issue whose resolution may benefit only the cause of a senior user, not of an alleged infringer. Accordingly, if the District Court again determines upon remand that defendant had only good intentions in adopting its name, it must find that this lack of intent neither reduces nor increases the probability of consumer confusion. 58