Opinion ID: 6928544
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Type of Goods and Purchaser Care

Text: Both parties produce travel guides designed for travel agents and frequent flyers. In assessing whether there is a likelihood of confusion, courts look to the reasonably prudent purchaser exercising ordinary caution. Sleekcraft, 599 F.2d at 353. It is assumed that buyers will exercise greater care in their purchases of expensive goods. Gallo, 967 F.2d at 1293. Advertisements are costly, depending upon the size of the advertisement and the publication. OAG’s display ads cost from $2,400 to $16,000 annually. The district court found that great care is taken to insure that advertisements are accurate and are placed in the proper directory. Confusion is therefore unlikely among advertisers. .Travel establishments, on the other hand, exercise a lower standard of care than advertisers when they return listing forms. The cost of listing their establishment is nominal or free. Accurate listings enhance OAG’s reputation in the travel industry as a publisher of an accurate and high quality travel directory. The district court found that the lower standard of care exercised by listers, as evidenced by the seven misdirected listings, weighs in favor of finding an infringement. This finding appears inconsistent with the court’s conclusion that the small number of misdirected listings is de minimis evidence of actual confusion.