Opinion ID: 217666
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: History of Delay in Seeking Injunctive Relief

Text: On January 11, 2000, Medical News Now, through its counsel, sent VOAW a cease-and-desist letter threatening to bring a trademark infringement action against VOAW unless certain questions regarding the use of the MDTV mark were answered. The letter strongly urged VOAW to select an alternative mark for [its] services so as to avoid even the possibility of confusion and gave VOAW fifteen days to respond. After receiving the letter, VOAW did not cease to use the MDTV mark and Medical News Now took no legal action. Rather, as previously mentioned, later that yearon September 25, 2000VOAW applied for federal registration of the MDTV mark. In September 2001, Medical News Now offered to pay VOAW $300 per month for a banner advertisement or landing page on VOAW's website (at mdtv.com) that would direct Internet users to Medical News Now's own website (at mdtv.now.com). The parties, however, were unable to reach an agreement at that time. Subsequently, in August 2002, Medical News Now, through its counsel, offered to enter into an agreement with VOAW whereby VOAW would have been required to, among other things, (1) withdraw its pending federal application for the MDTV mark, (2) allow Medical News Now's pending federal application to mature into registration and not challenge Medical News Now's rights to the mark, and (3) use its trade name Voice of the Arab World on the opening splash page or first page of all promotions or advertisements that used the MDTV mark. In exchange, Medical News Now offered to, among other things, (1) refrain from challenging VOAW's continued use under common law of the MDTV mark, and (2) pay VOAW a fee of $500 per month to rent use of the domain address www.mdtv.com. The parties, nevertheless, were unable to finalize this proposed agreement. The parties did, however, later reach a verbal agreement in 2005 under which Medical News Now promised to pay $600 per month to VOAW for the latter to host a banner advertisement (on its website) that would refer interested users to Medical News Now's own website. [3] However, Medical News Now soon lost interest in the banner referralapparently because it produced little or no trafficand in 2006 requested that VOAW discontinue it. The record shows that the parties' relationship soured further during this time. While VOAW attempted to collect allegedly due and unpaid banner rental fees, Medical News Now asserted that VOAW misleadingly induced it into renting the banner by providing false information concerning the expected traffic. On September 29, 2008, Medical News Now filed a petition in the USPTO to cancel VOAW's registration (No. 3,497,465) of the MDTV mark. This proceeding is now pending before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Subsequently, in August 2009, VOAW made changes to the text appearing on at least one of its static webpages by (1) declaring a wider scope of intended services, (2) providing Internet links to certain medical entities, and (3) creating subdomain names. The district court found significant that the revised version of the websites deleted any limiting references to the `Muslim and Arab world.' Voice of the Arab World, Inc., 2010 WL 661048, at , 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16981, at . On August 15, 2009, Medical News Now sent VOAW a letter threatening to file an action for trademark infringement and domain name cybersquatting unless VOAW agreed to transfer the mdtv domain names to Medical News Now in exchange for a nominal sum. Thereafter, on September 10, 2009, VOAW filed an action in the district court seeking declaratory judgment (1) that it had a right to use and register the MDTV mark, and (2) that its activities did not infringe upon Medical News Now's purported rights in the MDTV mark, or constitute domain name cybersquatting. Medical News Now responded on November 24, 2009, by bringing counterclaims against VOAW for trademark infringement, unfair competition and cybersquatting. In addition, on November 25, 2009, Medical News Now moved to preliminarily enjoin VOAW from using the MDTV mark. On February 25, 2010, the district court granted Medical News Now's motion and issued an order preliminarily enjoining VOAW from the use, sale or promotion of the MDTV mark or formative versions thereof on the Internet, in connection with medical-related information or educational programming or services. VOAW appeals the district court's preliminary injunction order. [4]