Baylor University v. Vintage Brand, LLC

District Court, W.D. Texas·Decided October 20, 2023·No. 6:21-cv-00409·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS WACO DIVISION BAYLOR UNIVERSITY, § § Plaintiff, § § v. § CIVIL ACTION NO. 6:21-cv-409-ADA § VINTAGE BRAND, LLC, § SPORTSWEAR INC. DBA PREP § SPORTSWEAR, and CHAD § HARTVIGSON, § § Defendants. § CONSENT JUDGMENT Plaintiff Baylor University (“Plaintiff”) and Defendants Vintage Brand, LLC, Sportswear Inc., DBA Prep Sportswear, and Chad Hartvigson (“Defendants”) have agreed to settle this case prior to trial and to entry of this Consent Judgment as part of their settlement. The Court enters the following findings of fact, conclusions of law, and Order as agreed by Plaintiff and Defendants. I. NATURE OF DISPUTE AND JURISDICTION 1. This is an action for trademark infringement and counterfeiting, unfair competition and false designation of origin, and trademark dilution under the Trademark Act of 1946, as amended, 15 U.S.C. § 1051 et seq. (“Lanham Act”); trademark infringement and trademark dilution under the Texas Business and Commerce Code; and trademark infringement, unfair competition, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment under Texas common law. 2. This Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of this action under 15 U.S.C. §1121 and 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 & 1338. The Court has supplemental jurisdiction over the state law claims under 28 U.S.C. § 1367(a). 3. Defendants have been properly served, and the Court has personal jurisdiction over each Defendant in connection with causes of action asserted by Baylor. 4. The parties are represented by counsel and have conferred with counsel about this dispute and the terms of this Consent Judgment. II. | BAYLOR AND ITS TRADEMARKS 5. Baylor is the world’s largest Baptist university and the oldest continually operating institution of higher education in the state of Texas. It was originally chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas, and later reincorporated under the laws of the State of Texas in 1886. 6. Baylor provides a wide curriculum of educational services through its colleges and schools at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including arts, sciences, business, law, nursing, education, engineering, computer science, music, social work, and theology. 7. For many years, Baylor and its licensees have continuously used the marks BAYLOR, BAYLOR UNIVERSITY, and other marks that consist of or incorporate BAYLOR in commerce in connection with Baylor’s high-quality educational services, as well as on a wide variety of related goods and services (the “BAYLOR Mark”). 8. Since at least as early as 1912, Baylor has frequently and continuously used the BU mark in a word and stylized format, in which the letters B and U interlock (the “BU Logo”), as shown below.

9. Baylor adopted a bear as its mascot in 1914. Since then, Baylor’s sports teams have been referred to as the “Baylor Bears.” Baylor has long and continuously used the BAYLOR BEARS mark in connection with its goods and services (the “BAYLOR BEARS Mark”).

10. Baylor has also adopted and long and continuously used various marks that incorporate a bear design, including the design marks shown directly below (collectively, the “Bear Design Marks”), in connection with its goods and services. The design on the left is sometimes herein referenced as the “Sailor Bear” mark.

es a ce “ay ies) yee □□ eee Se el! YY 11. Baylor has also adopted and long and continuously used the marks SIC ’EM and SIC °>EM BEARS (the “SIC >EM Marks”) for years in connection with its goods and services. 12. The BAYLOR Mark, the BU Logo, the BAYLOR BEARS Mark, the Bear Design Marks and the SIC Marks are collectively referred to herein as the “University Marks.” 13. Baylor operates an extensive trademark licensing program, in which it licenses its trademarks and service marks under quality-controlled conditions for use in connection with a wide range of products and services sold to the consuming public, including apparel and accessories. Baylor’s official school colors are green and gold, so many of the products bearing these marks incorporate that color scheme. Examples of these products are shown below:

i B 3 a rN ay ee laine etn Ld TTS

} \ \\ pAYLOn Be W MW | \ \ ri > \ 2 \ «@

14. As a result of Baylor’s long and extensive use of the University Marks, Baylor has developed an enormous amount of goodwill, public recognition, and strong rights in those marks, which consumers have come to know and trust as symbols of quality. 15. In addition to its extensive common law rights in its marks, Baylor owns numerous federal trademark registrations for those marks, including but not limited to the following, each of

which are valid and subsisting: Goods/Services Mark Registration No. (in relevant part) Class 16: Pens, pencils, three-ring binders, wire BAYLOR 1858559 bound writing pads, calendars, bumper stickers, decals, and stickers BAYLOR 1936714 Class 21: Glasses, mugs, cups, and tumblers Class 24: flags of textile or plastic; towels; pillow BAYLOR 5708242 covers; felt pennants; banners of textile or plastic; blanket throws Class 25: Shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, sweatpants, BAYLOR 4958203 ties, hats, shorts, jackets, warm up suits, and socks Class 14: Rings Class 25: Clothing products, namely shirts, sweatshirts, sweat pants, jerseys, T-shirts, shorts, jackets, hats, dress shirts, and socks BAYLOR 1935130 UNIVERSITY Class 41: Education and entertainment services, namely conducting college level courses, and related entertainment services, namely college sporting events, fine art productions, concerts and lectures Class 16: Pens, pencils, three-ring binders, wire- bound writing pads, calendars, bumper stickers, BAYLOR decals 1923603 UNIVERSITY Class 21: Dishes, drinking glasses, mugs, cups, and tumblers BU (Stylized) LC) 1468277 Class 16: calendars, notebooks, decals, notecards

BU (Stylized) LC) | 1474216 Class 21: cups, mugs, tumblers, and glasses

BU (Stylized) □□ Class 25: clothi ly t-shirts, short | ass 25: clothing, namely t-shirts, shorts, | 1558080 sweatshirts, sweaters

ios) 1467390 Class 21: tumblers, cups

BAYLOR BEARS B and design ghYLop 1467391 Class 21: Cups and tumblers ae BEARS BAYLOR B and bear design oii, vo kh 1467491 Class 25: T-shirts ne

B and bear design i +t) 5007920 Class 16: Decals; bumper stickers

B and bear design 5007921 Class 21: Drinking glasses, namely, tumblers

B and bear design soo7e33 | ls 25; lohing ame pullovers =) seroma | me | Seetts SIC BEARS 2780109 competitions in the field of men's and women's sporting events

III. ©DEFENDANTS AND THEIR BUSINESSES 16. Defendant Vintage Brand, LLC (“Vintage Brand”) is a Washington limited liability company. 17. Defendant Sportswear Inc. dba Prep Sportswear (“Sportswear”) is a Washington corporation. 18. Defendant Chad Allen Hartvigson is an individual and is a co-founder and co- owner of both Defendants Vintage Brand and Sportswear, the CEO of Sportswear, and manager of Vintage Brand. 19. Defendants Vintage Brand and Sportswear produce, manufacture, promote, and sell sports-themed merchandise, such as apparel, drinkware, posters, and other similar items. 20. Defendant Vintage Brand offered merchandise at a website associated with the domain name vintagebrand.com including the below examples. Lo RF

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21.

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Baylor University v. Vintage Brand, LLC, (W.D. Tex. 2023).

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