Opinion ID: 217666
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: First Use of the MDTV Mark in Commerce

Text: The parties agree that Medical News Now began using the MDTV mark in commerce in January 1998 and has made continuous use thereof. However, Medical News Now disputes VOAW's assertion that the latter has made continuous use of the MDTV mark in commerce since 1989. VOAW alleges that it first made use of the MDTV mark in the production of television programs from 1989 through the mid-1990s. Furthermore, it contends that in 1995 it began to make use of the mark in connection with its Internet website and has made continuous use ever since. Medical News Now, however, challenges these assertions and maintains that they are contradicted by the record. First, Medical News Now notes that, although VOAW's federal registration of the MDTV mark indicates that VOAW first used the mark in commerce in 1989, a sworn declaration signed by VOAW's President, Zagloul E. Ayad, on December 21, 1999in connection with VOAW's application for state registration of the MDTV mark in Massachusettsestablishes that VOAW's first use of the MDTV mark anywhere was on March 7, 1999. Second, Medical News Now argues that VOAW's claim that it has been using the MDTV mark on the Internet since 1995 is belied by VOAW's own assertion that it registered the mdtv Internet domain names between November 4, 1998 and February 1, 1999. [1] Third, Medical News Now contends that the evidence in the record regarding VOAW's use of the MDTV mark prior to 1998which consists primarily of certain e-mails and a declaration by Mr. Ayadis limited and unconvincing. The district court agreed with Medical News Now and found that evidence of any commercialization by VOAW prior to 1998 is either dubious, or worse, non-existent. Voice of the Arab World, Inc. v. MDTV Med. News Now, Inc., No. 09-11505-GAO, 2010 WL 661048, at , 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16981, at -10 (D.Mass.Feb. 25, 2010).