Blue Cross & Blue Shield Ass'n v. Blue Cross Mutual Clinic, Inc.

612 F. Supp. 41, 227 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 474, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22166
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedFebruary 28, 1985
Docket84-0934-Civ.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 612 F. Supp. 41 (Blue Cross & Blue Shield Ass'n v. Blue Cross Mutual Clinic, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Blue Cross & Blue Shield Ass'n v. Blue Cross Mutual Clinic, Inc., 612 F. Supp. 41, 227 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 474, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22166 (S.D. Fla. 1985).

Opinion

*42 AMENDED FINAL JUDGMENT

GONZALEZ, District Judge.

Pursuant to the Court’s Order dated January 3, 1985, granting plaintiff BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD ASSOCIATION’S motion for summary judgment and directing that judgment be entered herein in the plaintiff’s favor, it is hereby

ORDERED AND ADJUDGED as follows:

1. That this Court has jurisdiction over the plaintiff, BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD ASSOCIATION, and the defendant, BLUE CROSS MUTUAL CLINIC, INC., and over the subject matter of the complaint on file herein and that venue is proper.

2. That defendant, its officers, agents, servants, affiliates, employees, attorneys and representatives, and all those in privity or acting in concert with the defendants, and each and all of them, be and are hereby permanently restrained and enjoined from:

(a) infringing plaintiff’s service marks by continuing to promote and provide service under marks confusingly similar to plaintiff’s;
(b) diluting plaintiff’s service marks by causing injury to plaintiff’s distinctive service marks and the valuable reputation they represent; and
(c) unfairly competing by misappropriating and unfairly trading upon plaintiff’s service marks and reputation.

3. That all Counts, 28 through 30, of defendant’s affirmative defenses are hereby dismissed with prejudice.

4. That defendant bear plaintiff’s cost of suit herein.

5. That the Court shall retain jurisdiction of this matter for the purpose of taking such other action and providing such other and further relief as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out and enforce this Order from time to time.

6. That this Order should be effective immediately.

7. That the Court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law:

FINDINGS OF FACT

8. Plaintiff BLUE GROSS AND BLUE SHIELD ASSOCIATION [THE ASSOCIATION] is a not-for-profit corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Illinois, havings its principal place of business at 676 North St. Clair Street, Chicago, Illinois.

9. Plaintiff BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD ASSOCIATION is an affiliation of local BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD plans, which are engaged in the provision of prepaid financing and administration of medical, hospital and related health care services, and in the provision of health care services.

10. Defendant BLUE CROSS CLINIC, INC. is a corporation and existing under the laws of the State of Florida, havings its principal place of business at 5840 West Flagler Street, Miami, Dade County, Florida, and having no affiliation with the Association.

11. Plaintiff’s services and those of its member plans are identified by and rendered under the word mark BLUE CROSS and a BLUE CROSS design service mark, which has been extensively used, advertised and promoted throughout the United States, including the State of Florida.

12. THE ASSOCIATION is the owner of the following relevant incontestable service mark and trademark registrations:

(a) BLUE CROSS mark, registration No. 554,488, issued January 5, 1952;
(b) BLUE CROSS, mark, registration No. 554,492, issued February 5, 1952,
(c) Blue Cross design, registration No. 554,817, issued January 12, 1952;
(d) BLUE CROSS design, registration No. 969,385, issued September 25, 1973;
(e) BLUE CROSS design, registration No. 990,414, issued August 6, 1974; and
(f) BLUE CROSS design, registration No. 1,055,560, issued January 4, 1977.

13. Each of these service or trademarks is used in association with the promotion of *43 THE ASSOCIATION’S health care services.

14. Each of these service or trademarks appearing either independently or in use in association with one another in THE ASSOCIATION’S national advertising and literature are always noticed by the placement of the ® therein.

15. As a result of long use and extensive sales, advertising and promotion, THE ASSOCIATION’S BLUE CROSS word mark and its BLUE CROSS design mark as used together or independently have become exceptionally well and favorably known throughout the United States as representing THE ASSOCIATION and its health care services and were so well known before any use of BLUE CROSS or the BLUE CROSS design mark by defendant.

16. THE ASSOCIATION’S BLUE CROSS and BLUE CROSS design service marks are now famous and have achieved secondary meaning and symbolize THE ASSOCIATION, its plans and the health care services offered by its plans.

17. Because of its extensive advertising and sales of services under its marks, the good will built up, owned and associated with THE ASSOCIATION’S service marks is one of the plaintiff’s most valuable assets.

18. Defendant, with constructive and actual knowledge of THE ASSOCIATION’S ownership of the words “BLUE CROSS” and the BLUE CROSS design and its identification thereof with THE ASSOCIATION’S health care services and prepayment financing thereof, and subsequent to THE ASSOCIATION’S use, intentionally used the term “BLUE CROSS” and a blue stylized cross composed of the letters BCMC, to mislead and deceive the public into thinking that defendant’s health care clinic services are sponsored by, endorsed by, related to or approved by THE ASSOCIATION or its member plan.

19. Defendant’s health care clinic services are the same as, or substantially related to, the health care services and information services and the prepaid financing thereof offered by THE ASSOCIATION under its service marks.

20. The use of a cross design in blue by defendant in association with health care clinic services is likely to mislead and deceive the public into believing that defendant’s health care clinic is sponsored, endorsed, related to or approved by THE ASSOCIATION or its plans due to the similarity of the services offered by THE ASSOCIATION and its plans and the defendant under a cross design in blue.

21. The use of the BLUE CROSS word mark by defendant in association with health care clinic services is likely to mislead and deceive the public into believing that defendant’s health care clinic is sponsored, endorsed, related to or approved by THE ASSOCIATION or its plans due to the similarity of the services offered by THE ASSOCIATION and its plans and the defendant under a BLUE CROSS word mark.

22. Upon learning of defendant’s infringing use of the BLUE CROSS word and stylized BLUE CROSS marks, plaintiff made every effort to resolve this dispute without resort to the Court. THE ASSOCIATION has been diligent and timely in the assertion of its service mark rights.

23. Defendant used and continues to use the infringing BLUE CROSS word and BLUE CROSS marks in association with its health care clinic services.

24.

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Bluebook (online)
612 F. Supp. 41, 227 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 474, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22166, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/blue-cross-blue-shield-assn-v-blue-cross-mutual-clinic-inc-flsd-1985.