My Pillow, Inc. v. LMP Worldwide, Inc.

331 F. Supp. 3d 920
CourtDistrict Court, D. Maine
DecidedSeptember 6, 2018
DocketCase No. 18-cv-0196 (WMW/SER)
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 331 F. Supp. 3d 920 (My Pillow, Inc. v. LMP Worldwide, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
My Pillow, Inc. v. LMP Worldwide, Inc., 331 F. Supp. 3d 920 (D. Me. 2018).

Opinion

Wilhelmina M. Wright, United States District Judge

Plaintiff My Pillow, Inc., initiated this trademark-infringement lawsuit against Defendant LMP Worldwide, Inc. (LMP). Currently before the Court are LMP's motion to transfer the lawsuit to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, (Dkt. 11), and LMP's motion to dismiss My Pillow's complaint for failure to state a claim, (Dkt. 18). For the reasons addressed below, the Court denies LMP's motion to transfer and grants in part and denies in part LMP's motion to dismiss the complaint.

BACKGROUND

My Pillow is a Minnesota-based company that manufactures and sells pillows. My *926Pillow has used the registered trademark "MYPILLOW" (the My Pillow mark) since 2009. LMP has used the registered trademark (the LMP mark) since 2007. In January 2012, My Pillow initiated a lawsuit against LMP in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleging trademark infringement and unfair competition. The lawsuit was terminated when the parties signed a settlement agreement (the agreement), which establishes the terms under which each party can use the marks at issue. The agreement, which is governed by Michigan law, authorizes LMP to use the LMP mark. The agreement also contains the following provision: "The Parties agree that the [LMP mark], as used in the manner and form reflected in [the agreement], is not confusingly similar to and not likely to cause confusion with the My Pillow Mark." The agreement also prohibits LMP from using the My Pillow mark in connection with pillows and from making any "ad word" purchase1 for the words "my" and "pillow," whether together or separate, unless accompanied by additional words.

My Pillow alleges that LMP's conduct in the subsequent years violated the agreement and infringed the My Pillow mark. First, My Pillow alleges that, despite the terms of the agreement, LMP purchased the prohibited ad words (i.e., "my," "pillow," and "mypillow" without the accompaniment of additional words). My Pillow notified LMP of this alleged breach of the agreement in December 2016 and, although LMP claimed that it then ceased purchasing the prohibited ad words, My Pillow alleges that LMP continued to purchase the prohibited ad words. Second, My Pillow alleges that an LMP employee used the My Pillow mark in connection with the My Pillow goods and made false representations about My Pillow in an email to a wholesale customer. Third, My Pillow alleges that LMP produced radio advertisements that aired in the state of Minnesota that were designed to cause confusion between My Pillow and LMP. On December 20, 2017, My Pillow notified LMP of these alleged breaches of the agreement, and on January 23, 2018, My Pillow terminated the agreement.

My Pillow subsequently initiated this lawsuit, asserting breach of contract (Count 1), trademark infringement in violation of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1114 (Count 2), unfair competition and false representation in violation of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a) (Count 3), common-law trademark infringement and unfair competition (Count 4), unfair competition and false representation in violation of the Minnesota Deceptive Trade Practices Act, Minn. Stat. § 325D.44 (Count 5), and trademark cancellation (Count 6). Presently before the Court are LMP's motion to transfer the lawsuit to the Eastern District of Michigan and LMP's alternative motion to dismiss the complaint.

ANALYSIS

I. LMP's Motion to Transfer

"For the convenience of the parties and witnesses, in the interest of justice, a district court may transfer any civil action to any other district or division where it might have been brought ...." 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a). Section 1404(a) was enacted *927to address "problems arising where, despite the propriety of the plaintiff's venue selection, the chosen forum [is] an inconvenient one." In re Apple, Inc. , 602 F.3d 909, 912 (8th Cir. 2010) (per curiam) (internal quotation marks omitted). When deciding a motion to transfer, the district court considers the convenience of the parties, the convenience of the witnesses, and the interests of justice. Terra Int'l, Inc. v. Miss. Chem. Corp. , 119 F.3d 688, 691 (8th Cir. 1997). In doing so, the court evaluates the particular circumstances of the case in consideration of all relevant factors. Id. Because transfer motions "should not be freely granted," In re Nine Mile Ltd. , 692 F.2d 56, 61 (8th Cir. 1982) (per curiam), abrogated on other grounds by Mo. Hous. Dev. Comm'n v. Brice , 919 F.2d 1306 (8th Cir. 1990), the moving party bears the heavy burden of demonstrating why a transfer is warranted and, in doing so, must establish that the relevant factors weigh strongly in favor of granting the motion, Austin v. Nestle USA, Inc. , 677 F.Supp.2d 1134, 1137 (D. Minn. 2009).

LMP asserts that this lawsuit should be transferred because Michigan is a more convenient forum for the parties and witnesses and because transferring the lawsuit serves the interests of justice. Neither party disputes that My Pillow could have brought the lawsuit in the Eastern District of Michigan.

A. Convenience for the Parties

The convenience of each venue for the parties is the first factor considered under Section 1404(a). Huggins v. Stryker Corp. , 932 F.Supp.2d 972, 982 (D. Minn. 2013).

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Bluebook (online)
331 F. Supp. 3d 920, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/my-pillow-inc-v-lmp-worldwide-inc-med-2018.