Luv N' Care, Ltd. v. Regent Baby Products Corp.

841 F. Supp. 2d 753, 103 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1243, 2012 WL 78042, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4738
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJanuary 11, 2012
DocketNo. 10 Civ. 9492 (LLS)
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 841 F. Supp. 2d 753 (Luv N' Care, Ltd. v. Regent Baby Products Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Luv N' Care, Ltd. v. Regent Baby Products Corp., 841 F. Supp. 2d 753, 103 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1243, 2012 WL 78042, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4738 (S.D.N.Y. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

LOUIS L. STANTON, District Judge.

Plaintiffs sue defendant for patent infringement under 35 U.S.C. § 271, trademark infringement and unfair competition under 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a), trademark dilution under 15 U.S.C. § 1125(c), trademark dilution under New York General Business Law section 360-Z, and violations of New York common law.

Defendant moves under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) to dismiss counts III and V of the amended complaint, the federal and state trademark dilution claims.

The federal dilution statute protects “the owner of a famous mark that is distinctive, inherently or through acquired distinctiveness” against another’s “use of a mark or trade name in commerce that is likely to cause dilution by blurring or dilution by tarnishment of the famous mark, regardless of the presence or absence of actual or likely confusion, of competition, or of actual economic injury.” Trademark Dilution Revision Act of 2006, 15 U.S.C. § 1125(c)(1) (2006) (“TDRA”). Defendant argues that plaintiffs have not pled that their marks are “famous,” and thus the marks are not protected under the federal statute.

The New York dilution statute, N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 360—l (McKinney 2011 Supp.), provides:

Likelihood of injury to business reputation or of dilution of the distinctive quality of a mark or trade name shall be a ground for injunctive relief in cases of infringement of a mark registered or not registered or in cases of unfair competition, notwithstanding the absence of competition between the parties or the absence of confusion as to the source of goods or services.

Defendant asserts that because plaintiffs seek patent-like protection under that statute, their claims are preempted by federal patent law. The crux of defendant’s argument is that since federal patent law provides the exclusive remedy to an inventor who seeks to prevent others from copying her invention’s design, state law cannot serve as an alternative means for inventors to enjoin others from copying their patented or potentially patentable designs.

Background

The following allegations from the amended complaint are accepted as true, as they must be on this motion to dismiss. See Rescuecom Corp. v. Google Inc., 562 F.3d 123, 127 (2d Cir.2009).

“Plaintiff Luv N’ care is one of the leading baby product companies in the world today.” Am. Compl. ¶ 18. Its affiliate, plaintiff Admar International, “is the owner of various United States Trademark Applications and Registrations, under which trademarks Luv n’ care sells goods throughout the United States under exclusive rights from Admar.” Id. ¶ 19. Products sold under those trademarks include children’s no-spill drinking cups, baby bottles, and pacifiers.

Plaintiffs “have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from the sale of goods under their trademarks,” id. ¶ 20, [755]*755have “expended significant time, funds and effort in designing and developing esthetically appealing and attractive product designs for Plaintiffs’ goods,” id. ¶21, and have “expended significant time, funds and effort in promoting, advertising, marketing and popularizing Plaintiffs’ goods,” id. ¶ 22. “As a result of Plaintiffs’ design efforts and promotional, advertising and marketing activities, Plaintiffs’ products designs, trademarks and/or trade dress have all become widely known throughout the United States and worldwide, and associated with Plaintiffs.” Id. ¶ 23. “Plaintiffs’ products are among the most popular and well known products in their industry, and their line of products is famous throughout the country and the world.” Id. ¶ 24.

According to the amended complaint,

25. The appearance of Plaintiffs’ original design of their no-spill children’s drinking cups, including its “Gripper Cup,” “Flip-it,” “Hard Spout” and “Grip n’ sip” cups (collectively, “No-Spill Cups”) are distinctive symbols which serve as trademarks or trade dress of Plaintiffs’ products in interstate commerce, both in the United States and worldwide.
26. The design and appearance of Plaintiffs’ No-Spill Cups has acquired secondary meaning, and are recognized as identifying Plaintiffs’ high-quality products and services.

The amended complaint makes those same allegations that their design and appearance are the trademarks and trade dress of each of plaintiffs’ “Gripper-Pal” Bottle, “Brites Pacifier,” “Fruit Pacifier,” “Sports Pacifier,” “Sculptured Pacifier,” “Sports Pacifinder,” “Pacifinder & Pacifier,” “Hard and Soft Teething Keys,” and “Food Storage Bowls with Feeding Spoon.” See id. ¶¶ 28-44.

Defendant is a nationwide distributor of baby products, whose products are sold under other brand names.

Plaintiffs allege that defendant has infringed on their products’ trademarks and trade dress by selling “unauthorized knock-offs,” id. ¶ 102, which look similar to plaintiffs’ products, and are thus “deceptive and confusing” to consumers. Defendants allegedly infringed on Admar’s trade dress for the following products: the “Gripper Cup,” the “Flip-it” cup, the “Hard Spout” cup, the “Grip n’ sip” cup, the “Brites Pacifier,” the “Sport Pacifier,” the “Fruit Pacifier,” the “Sculptured Pacifier,” the “Sports Pacifinder,” the “Pacifinder & Pacifier,” the “Gripper-Pal” baby bottle, “Teething Keys,” and “Food Storage Bowls with Feeding Spoon.”

Plaintiffs further allege that, by selling allegedly infringing products, defendant has diluted plaintiffs’ trademarks and trade dress:

103. The trade and consuming public are likely to be misled into believing that the unauthorized knock-offs of Plaintiffs’ No-Spill Cups, Gripper-Pal, Pacifiers, Pacifinders, Teething Keys and Food Containers (hereafter, collectively, “The Products”) originate with or are otherwise authorized, sponsored and/or licensed by, or associated with the Plaintiffs.
104. Defendant is using The Products’ design to trade off of Plaintiffs’ reputation and goodwill and to create deception in the marketplace.
105. Defendant is also blurring and tarnishing the distinctive quality of Plaintiffs’ famous and extremely strong and distinctive product designs, trade dress and trademarks associated with the products.
106. As shown in the Exhibits, Defendant’s products have repeatedly been designed to resemble those of Plaintiffs, [756]*756to cause confusion, mistake, and deception in the marketplace.
108.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
841 F. Supp. 2d 753, 103 U.S.P.Q. 2d (BNA) 1243, 2012 WL 78042, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4738, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/luv-n-care-ltd-v-regent-baby-products-corp-nysd-2012.