C & N Corp. v. Kane

142 F. Supp. 3d 783, 116 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1855, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 144179, 2015 WL 6443127
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedOctober 23, 2015
DocketCase No. 12-CV-257
StatusPublished

This text of 142 F. Supp. 3d 783 (C & N Corp. v. Kane) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
C & N Corp. v. Kane, 142 F. Supp. 3d 783, 116 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1855, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 144179, 2015 WL 6443127 (E.D. Wis. 2015).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR CONTEMPT

WILLIAM C. GRIESBACH, Chief Judge.

This previously closed action for trademark infringement is again before the court on the motion of Plaintiff C & N Corporation- d/b/a Door Peninsula Winery (DPW), requesting that'Defendants Illinois River- Winery Inc. (IRW) and its owner, Gregory Kane, be held in contempt for violating the permanent injunction entered as part of the final judgment in the matter. On June 14, 2013, the court granted DPW’s motion for partial summary judgment, ruling in favor of DPW on its claims for trademark infringement of its rights in the HALLOWINE word mark under section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a), and state common law. On November 12, 2013, the court granted DPW’s motion for a permanent injunction to enjoin further infringement of its HALLOW-INE mark by the defendants. The court entered a judgment to that effect, as explained in more detail below, and the judgment was affirmed on appeal. In the motion now before -the court, DPW submits that the defendants are clearly violating the terms of the permanent injunction by selling wine essentially called “Hallow Wine.” For the reasons that follow, DPW’s motion will be granted.'

BACKGROUND

The facts before. the Court when it granted DPW’s motion for partial summary judgment on its claim that the defen[785]*785dants were infringing plaintiffs. HAL-LOWINE mark are stated in the Court’s prior order. (ECF No. 54.) In short, DPW and IRW are wineries that each sold Halloween-themed wine called. “Hallow-ine.” DPW has been selling and distributing its Hallowine in Wisconsin and Illinois since -1998.- t IRW began selling wine in 2003 and began selling its “Hallowine” some time thereafter. - Aside from online sales, which are comparatively small, IRW sold its Hallowine in Illinois.

The parties’ conflict first surfaced in 2006 when IRW submitted ah application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for federal registration of the word mark HALLOWINE, and DPW, upon learning of IRW’s application, initiated an opposition proceeding. The PTO Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) issued a decision in that proceeding in 2008 in which it ruled that DPW had priority in the HALLOWINE word mark and that there was a likelihood of . confusion between DPWs use of the HALLOWINE mark on its wine and IRW’s use of the same mark on its wine. IRW did not appeal the TTAB ruling.

After DPW filed this action against IRW and its president, Gregory Kane, for trademark infringement and other claims, DPW moved for partial summary judgment on several issues including the trademark infringement claims based on the HAL-LOWINE mark. This claim required showing that .HALLOWINE was a pro-tectable trademark and that IRW’s use of the same word was likely to cause confusion among consumers. Because TTAB had already ruled on the second issue, the court held that IRW was collaterally es-topped from arguing its mark was not likely to confuse consumers. And because the court concluded that the HALLOW-INE mark was a protectable trademark (that had been presumed in the TTAB proceedings and not contested by IRW in this action), the court concluded that the defendants were liable for. infringement. The basis of the court’s ruling on the uncontested proteetability issue was ■ that HALLOWINE is a valid “suggestive”, mark, as opposed to a mere “descriptive” mark, because it is a play on words— HALLOWINE combines the words “Halloween” and “wine” in a way that suggests, as opposed to directly describes, that the wine is a spiced, autumnal beverage. (ECF No. 54 at 14-15.) The court also ordered that DPW was entitled to recover all of the revenue IRW received from its infringing sales in the' amount of $508,864.26 under 15 U.S.C. §1117 because IRW failed to offer any evidence of its own costs of production. (Id. at 15-17.)

After the parties agreed on dismissal without prejudice of DPW’s other claims, DPW sought a permanent injunction and a final judgment. On November 13, 2013, the Court entered a judgment that included the following permanent injunction:

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that Gregory Kane and Illinois River Winery, Inc. their officers, agents, servants, employees, attorneys, and all other persons who are in active concert or participation with them, who deceive actual notice of- this Order by personal service or otherwise, are permanently enjoined and restrained from manufacturing, advertising, marketing, promoting, offering to sell; * and/or selling wine that uses, copies, or misappropriates the-HALLOWINE mark-or other existing or -future names or designs that are not more than a colorable variation of the HALLOWINE mark in or into the states of Illinois and Wisconsin, whether such use is as, on, in, or in connection with any trademark, service mark, trade name, logo, design, Internet use, website, domain name, metatags, advertising, promotions, solicitations, commercial exploitation, television, web-based or any other program, or any [786]*786product or service, or otherwise, without express authorization or license from C & N Corporation d/b/a/ Door Peninsula Winery.

(ECF No. 96 at 1) (emphasis added). The judgment also reflected the order that DPW was entitled to recover IRW’s profits for infringing sales in the amount of $508,864.26. (Id)

On appeal before the Seventh Circuit, IRW raised three issues. It argued (1) Kane should not be liable for damages in his individual capacity; (2) damages incurred before March 16, 2012 were barred by the applicable statute of limitations; and (3) “Hallowine” is not a protectable mark. C & N Corporation v. Gregory Kane et al, 756 F.3d 1024, 1026 (7th Cir.2014) (ECF No. 115-1). The Seventh Circuit concluded that none of the arguments had been made to this Court and that the arguments had therefore been waived.

On February 28, 2014, while the ease was on appeal, IRW filed for bankruptcy. On February 23, 2015, after the appeal was decided, IRW and Kane filed a malpractice action against the law firm that represented them both in this court and on appeal. The malpractice case was settled by the firm’s professional liability insurer subject to a settlement agreement entered into between IRW/Kane and DPW. The agreement, executed March 17, 2015, included the following terms: IRW would seek dismissal of the bankruptcy proceeding; IRWs former counsel would pay DPW $250,000 in full satisfaction of the monetary relief granted in the judgment; IRW would abandon the use of any shade of orange on their wine bottles for any autumn-themed or Halloween-themed wine; IRW would also abandon the use of or depiction of bats, jack-o-lanterns and black cats on any such wine; the parties released any claims related to the trademark action, the malpractice action or the bankruptcy action; and finally, if either party had any dispute regarding compliance with the agreement, that the complaining party would be required to notify the other party of the issue in writing, would work in good faith to resolve the issue, and would wait at least 14 days after providing such notice before seeking action from any court or arbitrator. (ECF No.

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142 F. Supp. 3d 783, 116 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1855, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 144179, 2015 WL 6443127, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/c-n-corp-v-kane-wied-2015.