Opinion ID: 777678
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Is The Injunction Overbroad?

Text: 82 J & J argues that the preliminary injunction imposed by the District Court violates the First Amendment because it enjoins all use of the MNTS name instead of ordering as a narrower remedy that a disclaimer be added to the label explaining that the product provides only short-term relief. 15 It is true that injunctive relief should be no more burdensome to the defendant than necessary to provide complete relief to plaintiffs. Califano v. Yamasaki, 442 U.S. 682, 702, 99 S.Ct. 2545, 61 L.Ed.2d 176 (1979); accord Ameron, Inc. v. U.S. Army Corps of Eng'rs, 787 F.2d 875, 887-88 (3d Cir.1986), adopted in part on reh'g by 809 F.2d 979, 981 (1987). Moreover, because commercial speech is entitled to appropriate protection under the First Amendment, an injunction restraining allegedly false or misleading speech must be narrowly tailored to cover only the speech most likely to deceive consumers and harm [the plaintiff]. ALPO Petfoods, Inc. v. Ralston Purina Co., 913 F.2d 958, 972 (D.C.Cir.1990); see also Mobius Mgmt. Sys., Inc. v. Fourth Dimension Software, Inc., 880 F.Supp. 1005, 1024-25 (S.D.N.Y.1994). 83 The preliminary injunction in this case prohibits J & J from: (1) marketing and disseminating Mylanta Night Time Strength under that name; (2) using the designation `Night Time' or `Night Time Strength' on any antacid product; [and] (3) otherwise claiming, either explicitly or implicitly, in any packaging, advertising, or other promotional materials, that Mylanta Night Time Strength is specifically formulated for night time heartburn, provides all-night relief, and/or possesses a strength that correlates with its efficacy. 129 F.Supp.2d at 369. We think this injunction is not overbroad, for it only reaches claims that are false. See Castrol, 987 F.2d at 949 (injunction was not overbroad because it only reache[d] the specific claims that the district court found to be literally false). 84 The District Court concluded, and we agree, that Novartis will likely prove that the MNTS name, inter alia, necessarily implies a false message that the product is specially formulated for nighttime relief. We do not believe that a disclaimer can rectify a product name that necessarily conveys a false message to the consumer. The Court therefore did not violate the First Amendment by prohibiting J & J from using the MNTS designation. 85 However, the injunction does more than prohibit the use of the MNTS name. It also prohibits J & J from otherwise claiming in its packaging, advertising, or promotional materials that MNTS is specially formulated for nighttime heartburn, provides all-night relief, or possesses a strength that correlates with greater efficacy. We conclude that the injunction does not violate the First Amendment in doing so because each of these messages is false. As discussed above, the message that MNTS is specially formulated for nighttime heartburn is false. Moreover, J & J does not dispute that a message of all-night relief would be false. It merely argues that this message is not received from the product's name. Finally, it is well settled that a product's strength, as demonstrated in vitro, does not correlate to greater efficacy at relieving symptoms in the body. See Rorer, 19 F.3d at 128. Because each of these messages is false, the injunction may outright prohibit J & J from making them, either explicitly or implicitly, in its packaging, advertising, or promotional materials. 86 We note that had we limited our holding to affirm only the District Court's finding that the MNTS product name is misleading (and not literally false or necessarily implying any false message), the issue of whether the injunction could prohibit all use of that product name, as opposed to requiring a disclaimer, would have been a closer question. At one time the Second Circuit held that [d]isclaimers are a favored way of alleviating consumer confusion. Consumers Union of United States, Inc. v. Gen. Signal Corp., 724 F.2d 1044, 1053 (2d Cir.1983). It did so because it observed that [a]bsolute prohibitions of speech as provided for in the instant preliminary injunction are improper where there is any possibility that an explanation or disclaimer will suffice. Id. The Second Circuit has since retreated from the position taken in Consumers Union and shifted the burden to the defendant to demonstrate that a disclaimer would suffice to protect consumers. See Home Box Office, Inc. v. Showtime/The Movie Channel Inc., 832 F.2d 1311, 1316 (2d Cir.1987); Charles of the Ritz Group Ltd. v. Quality King Distribs., Inc., 832 F.2d 1317, 1324 (2d Cir.1987) (In [ Home Box Office ], this court considered and rejected appellants' claim that disclaimers are a favored way of alleviating substantial consumer confusion.). Even so, the District Court's determination of whether to grant relief in the form of an absolute injunction or through the use of a disclaimer will not be disturbed on appeal ... unless there has been an abuse of discretion. Soltex Polymer Corp. v. Fortex Indus., Inc., 832 F.2d 1325, 1329-1330 (2d Cir.1987). 87 Likewise, we believe that district courts should consider ordering the narrowest remedy possible to protect the public from misleading product names or advertising. This may include using disclaimers rather than absolute prohibitions on speech. Although we are skeptical whether disclaimers can cure false advertising claims (made literally or by necessary implication), they may be able to dispel misleading messages implied by a product's name. If a district court is not persuaded that the defendant's proposed disclaimer would protect consumers fully, it may take the more significant measure of entering a complete prohibition on false speech.