Luxottica Group, S.p.A. v. Greenbriar Marketplace II, LLC

212 F. Supp. 3d 1375, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 142929, 2016 WL 5859023
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedSeptember 30, 2016
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. 1:15-cv-01382-AT
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 212 F. Supp. 3d 1375 (Luxottica Group, S.p.A. v. Greenbriar Marketplace II, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Luxottica Group, S.p.A. v. Greenbriar Marketplace II, LLC, 212 F. Supp. 3d 1375, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 142929, 2016 WL 5859023 (N.D. Ga. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER

Amy Totenberg, United States District Judge

This is a trademark infringement case brought pursuant to the Lanham Act. Plaintiff Luxottica Group, S.p.A. (“Luxotti-ca”) seeks to hold Defendants Greenbriar Marketplace II, LLC, and Albert Ashkouti liable based on a claim of contributory infringement.

Luxottica manufactures, markets, and sells premium, luxury and sports eyewear under various proprietary trademarked brands including Ray-Ban and Oakley. Luxottica does not offer its merchandise for sale through individuals, street vendors, unauthorized retail locations, or flea markets. According to its Complaint, Lux-ottica operates over 7,000 retail stores, including LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, and Sunglass Hut. Defendants are each alleged to be owners and operators of the Greenbriar Discount Mall, an indoor flea market near Greenbriar Mall in Fulton County. Luxottica asserts that certain vendors at the Greenbriar Discount Mall have sold and continue to sell an array of counterfeit goods, including “knock-off’ RayBan and Oakley sunglasses.

On December 19, 2013, the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Atlanta Police Department raided the Greenbriar Discount Mall and the adjacent Greenbriar Strip Plaza and seized thousands of counterfeit products, including counterfeit Ray-Ban and Oakley merchandise. Luxottica’s investigators observed sales of fake Ray-Bans and Oakleys (also known as “FOakleys” or “faux-kleys”) and were able to purchase several pairs of counterfeit sunglasses ranging in price from $10.00-$20.00 on multiple undercover trips to the flea market from October, 2014 to April, 2015. Luxottica sent a cease and desist letter addressed to the “Owner/Manager” of the “Greenbrier Strip Plaza Warehouse” on January 9, 2015, notifying them that tenants at the Greenbrier Strip Plaza Warehouse were trafficking in counterfeit Ray-Ban and Oakley merchandise.

Luxottica seeks to hold Defendants as the owners and operators of the Greenbr-iar Discount Mall contributorially liable pursuant to the Lanham Act for the in-flinging acts of the individual vendors directly engaged in selling the counterfeit merchandise.. Defendant Greenbriar Marketplace II, LLC (“Greenbriar Marketplace”) has moved for summary judgment [Doc. 62], arguing that as a mere property owner with no operational or managerial control over the Greenbriar Discount Mall, it is not liable for contributory trademark infringement as a matter of law. Defendant Albert Ashkouti seeks summary judg[1378]*1378ment [Doc. 82] in his favor because he personally had no authority or control over the vendors that allegedly infringed Luxot-tica’s trademarks.

The Court held a hearing on Defendants’ motions on September 15, 2016. After reviewing the parties’ briefs and the evidence submitted, and with the benefit of oral argument, the Court’s rulings are set forth below.

I. Discussion

“The principles underlying the Lanham Act contemplate liability that extends beyond direct violators of the trademark provision of § 43(a).” Duty Free Americas, Inc. v. Estee Lauder Companies, Inc., 797 F.3d 1248, 1276 (11th Cir. 2015) (citing Inwood Labs., Inc. v. Ives Labs., Inc., 456 U.S. 844, 854, 102 S.Ct. 2182, 72 L.Ed.2d 606 (1982)). Thus, under certain circumstances, “[l]iability for trademark infringement can extend beyond those entities that actually perform the acts of infringement.” Mini Maid Servs. Co. v. Maid Brigade Sys., Inc., 967 F.2d 1516, 1522 (11th Cir. 1992) (citing Inwood, “Thus, if a manufacturer or distributor intentionally induces another to infringe a trademark, or if it continues to supply its product to one who it knows or has reason to know is engaging in trademark infringement, the manufacturer or distributor is contributorially responsible for any harm done as a result of the deceit.”).

To succeed on a claim for contributory trademark infringement in the Eleventh Circuit, a plaintiff must first show that a third party in fact directly engaged in infringing conduct, and second, that the defendant contributed to that conduct either by knowingly inducing or causing the conduct, or by materially participating in it. See Duty Free Americas, Inc., 797 F.3d at 1277; Mini Maid Servs. Co., 967 F.2d at 1521-22. Liability for contributory infringement necessarily depends upon whether the alleged contributing defendant “intended to participate” in the infringement or “actually knew about” the infringement. Mini Maid Servs. Co., 967 F.2d at 1522; see also Duty Free Americas, Inc., 797 F.3d at 1277. The extent and nature of the violations being committed may be relevant in making this determination. Mini Maid Servs. Co., 967 F.2d at 1522. “If the infringement is serious and widespread, it is more likely that” the defendant knows about and condones the infringing activity. Id.

The plaintiff must also demonstrate that the defendant actively and materially furthered the unlawful conduct— either by inducing it, causing it, or in some other way working to bring it about (for example by directly controlling or monitoring the third party’s conduct). Duty Free Americas, Inc., 797 F.3d at 1277-78 (citing 1—800 Contacts, Inc. v. Lens.com, Inc., 722 F.3d 1229, 1249 (10th Cir. 2013) (explaining that Inwood establishes liability for a defendant who “enables a third party” to violate the Lanham Act)). “[U]nder appropriate facts, contributory trademark infringement might be grounded upon a [defendant’s] bad faith refusal to exercise a clear contractual power to halt the infringing activities.” Mini Maid Servs. Co., 967 F.2d at 1522.

Several courts have extended liability for contributory trademark infringement to landlords, owners, and operators of flea markets and other locations where vendors sell counterfeit goods. See, e.g., Hard Rock Cafe Licensing Corp. v. Concession Servs., Inc., 955 F.2d 1143, 1149-1150 (7th Cir.1992) (applying Inwood liability test for contributory trademark infringement to the owner and operator of a flea market where counterfeit items were sold and finding that owner/operator, though lacking actual knowledge, had reason to know of trademark violations of its vendors and [1379]*1379by “willfall blindness” deliberately failed to investigate suspected infringing activity by vendors, thereby facilitating ongoing infringement by permitting such vendors to use flea market resources may be subject to contributory liability); Fonovisa, Inc. v. Cherry Auction, Inc., 76 F.3d 259, 264-265 (9th Cir.1996) (adopting Hard Rock Cafe’s application of contributory trademark infringement liability to operators of a swap meet who had reason to know of infringing activity after law enforcement officers raided the flea market and seized counterfeit merchandise); Coach v. Goodfellow, 717 F.3d 498

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212 F. Supp. 3d 1375, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 142929, 2016 WL 5859023, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/luxottica-group-spa-v-greenbriar-marketplace-ii-llc-gand-2016.