Opinion ID: 740489
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: District court findings prior to the first appeal.

Text: 7 On February 14, 1995, the district court issued an opinion from the bench. Without discussing whether consumers recognized Landscape as the manufacturer of the Petoskey furniture, the court found that Landscape's designs were unique and distinctive. It then went on to apply the eight, non-exclusive factors from Polaroid Corp. v. Polarad Elecs. Corp., 287 F.2d 492, 495 (2d Cir.1961), to conclude that consumers were likely to be confused as to the identity of maker of the accused site furniture. 2 The district court found that the only factor which may cut in favor of the defendant was the sophistication of the relevant consumers who are contractors, landscape architects and other design professionals. But, in its discussion of other factors, the court mentioned several considerations favoring Columbia, such as the facts that each company's products are labeled with the name of the manufacturer; that the benches were sold through catalogs that identify the manufacturer; and that there was little evidence of actual confusion. Among the factors supporting the injunction, the district court seemed most swayed by the strength of Landscape's designs, which the court adjudged unique, attractive and beautiful; the similarity of the accused products' overall look; and Columbia's apparent bad faith in deliberately copying Landscape's designs. 8