Jaguar Cars Ltd. v. Skandrani

771 F. Supp. 1178, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11449, 1991 WL 144076
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedJanuary 10, 1991
DocketNo. 89-6787-CIV
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 771 F. Supp. 1178 (Jaguar Cars Ltd. v. Skandrani) 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
Jaguar Cars Ltd. v. Skandrani, 771 F. Supp. 1178, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11449, 1991 WL 144076 (S.D. Fla. 1991).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

ZLOCH, District Judge.

THIS CAUSE has come before the Court upon a non-jury trial commencing Thursday, November 15, 1990. The Court hereby makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law after a one-day bench trial.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. Jurisdiction is conferred on this Court by 15 U.S.C. § 1121 and 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1338 and the doctrine of pendent jurisdiction.

2. Plaintiff, Jaguar Cars Limited (“Jaguar (U.K.)”), is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United Kingdom with its principal place of business in Allesley, Coventry, England.

3. Plaintiff, Jaguar Cars, Inc. (“Jaguar (U.S.)”), is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware with its principal place of business at 555 MacArthur Boulevard, Mahwah, New Jersey.

4. Defendant, Maurice Skandrani (“Skandrani”), d/b/a Limor Alexander, conducts business at 7360 West 20th Avenue, # 130, Hialeah, Florida 33016.

5. Plaintiff, Jaguar (U.S.), is the United States member of the Jaguar Group, affiliated corporations owned by Jaguar pic in the United Kingdom that (a) manufacture and sell Jaguar automobiles, spare parts, automotive equipment, accessories, and (b) sell and license for sale a wide variety of personal consumer products under the JAGUAR Trademarks.

6. The principal function of Jaguar (U.S.) is to advertise, promote, market and sell products under the JAGUAR Trademarks in the United States.

7. The JAGUAR Trademarks include: (a) the JAGUAR mark, registered on September 17,1946 in the United States Patent and Trademark Office for automotive vehicles and parts under Reg. No. 423,961; (b) the “Leaping Jaguar” design mark, registered on June 17, 1969 in the United States Patent and Trademark Office for motor cars under Reg. No. 871; and (c) Plaintiff’s principal trademark and service mark, the composite “JAGUAR-Leaping Jaguar” design mark composed of the trademark JAGUAR with the “Leaping Jaguar” trademark above it, registered on October 24, 1989 in the United States Patent and Trademark Office for automobiles and parts under Reg. No. 1,562,075.

8. On March 27,1989, Jaguar (U.K.) file an application, Serial No. 789,450, to register the “JAGUAR-Leaping Jaguar” trademark for automotive services. This mark has passed to publication in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

9. On January 12, 1990, Jaguar (U.K.) filed an application to register the “JAGUAR-Leaping Jaguar” mark, App. No. 018,611, for fragrances, namely cologne.

10. In January 1990, Jaguar filed several other applications in the United States [1181]*1181Patent and Trademark Office for the “JAGUAR-Leaping Jaguar” mark for a wide variety of products, including automobile polish (App. No. 018,609), metal key rings (App. No. 018,610), sunglasses, alarm sysems and cellular telephones (App. No. 108,617), jewelry (App. No. 018,615), and duffel bags, passport cases, umbrellas and luggage tags (App. No. 018,614).

11. The “JAGUAR-Leaping Jaguar” trademark has served as the corporate logo of Jaguar (U.S.) and Jaguar (U.K.) for over eight years.

12. The JAGUAR Trademarks are owned by Jaguar (U.K.) and licensed in the United States for the use of Jaguar (U.S.) and its authorized dealers.

13. Jaguar has sold automobiles bearing the JAGUAR Trademark in the United States since at least as early as 1935.

14. Jaguar (U.S.) currently sells seven Jaguar models in the United States. The United States is the largest single market for Jaguar vehicles. Jaguar’s sales at retail in this country have increased from approximately 3,000 units in 1980 to over 18,000 units in 1989.

15. Jaguar (U.S.) engages in extensive advertising and promotion of products bearing the JAGUAR Trademarks.

16. The JAGUAR Trademarks are prominently displayed in Jaguar’s advertising and promotional material.

17. Jaguar (U.S.) advertises its line of products in national print, radio and television media, cooperative and major market advertising programs.

18. Jaguar (U.S.) advertises its JAGUAR products in such nationally distributed newspapers and magazines as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New Yorker, Forbes, Business Week, Fortune, Town and Country, The Economist, Travel and Leisure, and in specialty magazines such as Car and Driver, Sports Illustrated and Road & Track.

19. The Jaguar name is also brought to the public’s attention through a competitive motor racing program in which Plaintiffs participate in the United States.

20. The renown of the Jaguar name is further illustrated by the existence of Jaguar owners’ clubs across the country. These clubs, established by Jaguar owners and/or aficionados, have existed for decades. Club members swap product information, hold rallies and publish a magazine called the Jaguar Journal.

21. As a result of Plaintiffs’ extensive advertising, promotion and distribution of Jaguar vehicles and related goods and services, and because of the high quality of Jaguar vehicles and related goods and services, the JAGUAR Trademarks have become well-known symbols identified by the public exclusively with Plaintiffs.

22. In the early 1980’s, Jaguar (U.K.) decided to expand its use of the JAGUAR Trademarks to consumer products other than motor cars and motor products.

23. Jaguar’s decision to expand its business to non-automotive products was consistent with prevalent marketing trends which applied designer and other famous “status” brand names to a wide variety of consumer products.

24. Jaguar (U.K.) is the owner of the Registration No. 1,166,342, issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 1980 for the mark JAGUAR for sunglasses.

25. Jaguar (U.K.) has licensed the use of the JAGUAR and the “JAGUAR-Leaping Jaguar” trademarks for the sale and promotion of sunglasses in the United States. These sunglasses are sold in retail outlets, including drug stores.

26. In June 1986, Jaguar (U.K.) created a wholly-owned subsidiary company, The Jaguar Collection Limited (“Jaguar Collection”). The Jaguar Collection has sold, either directly or through licensees, a wide range of consumer products bearing the JAGUAR Trademarks, including sunglasses and optical frames, sports clothing and equipment, high quality men’s wear and clothing accessories, watches, clocks and leather goods.

27. Jaguar (U.S.) and its predecessors have sold and distributed an extensive line of non-automotive merchandise bearing the JAGUAR Trademarks through its authorized dealer network including such items [1182]*1182as pen and pencil sets, ash trays, coffee mugs, umbrellas, small leather goods and luggage, cufflinks, tie tacks, belt buckles, money clips, key chains and women’s jewelry as well as a number of styles of jackets, ties, sweaters and shirts.

28.

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Bluebook (online)
771 F. Supp. 1178, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11449, 1991 WL 144076, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jaguar-cars-ltd-v-skandrani-flsd-1991.