Patsy's Italian Restaurant, Inc. v. Banas

575 F. Supp. 2d 427, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 77802, 2008 WL 4146212
District Court, E.D. New York·Decided September 9, 2008·No. 1:06-mj-00729·Published·Cited by 15 cases

Opinion

OPINION & ORDER

RAMON E. REYES, Jr., United States Magistrate Judge:

More than five years ago, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit admonished the major parties in this litigation “that henceforth they would be well advised to minimize the risk of confusion by identifying their restaurants by the complete names: ‘Patsy’s Italian Restaurant’ and ‘Patsy’s Pizzeria.’ ” Patsy’s Brand, Inc. v. I.O.B. Realty, Inc., 317 F.3d 209, 221 (2d Cir.2003). This lengthy Opinion and Order is written because the parties have largely ignored that admonition. During the intervening years, the parties have instead continued on an oftentimes labyrinthine course of litigation. As noted by the Court of Appeals, one source of this *434 litigation’s “unavoidable confusion” has been the fact that, for over sixty years, the major parties and their predecessors have shared the mark PATSY’S for nearly identical restaurant-related services, both within the same New York City market. See Patsy’s Brand, Inc., 317 F.3d at 217. Additional confusion occurred during proceedings before the Patent and Trademark Office (the “PTO”) and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (the “TTAB”). These proceedings have been alternately described as “protracted and convoluted,” Patsy’s Italian Rest., Inc. v. Banas, 508 F.Supp.2d 194, 203 (E.D.N.Y.2007), and “a procedural morass,” “tortured” and “resulting in confusion and mistake.” I.O.B. Realty, Inc. v. Patsy’s Brand, Inc., TTAB Cancellation Nos. 92028142 & 92029614, at 10, 15 (June 28, 2007) (unpublished decision submitted as Defs.’ Ex. III, herein “TTAB Decision”). Such was the muddled state of affairs that formed the starting point for this case.

As this case made its way toward a jury trial, its “convoluted” and “tortured” procedural history presented considerable practical challenges in resolving the thorny legal and factual issues raised by the parties’ simultaneous and long-standing use of the mark PATSY’S. In coping with these challenges, the Court was reminded that trademark law’s fundamental purpose is to not only “encourage investments in strong trademarks, but also ‘to protect the ability of consumers to distinguish among competing producers.’ ” Malletier v. Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corp., 426 F.3d 532, 539 (2d Cir.2005) (quoting Park ’N Fly, Inc. v. Dollar Park & Fly, Inc., 469 U.S. 189, 198, 105 S.Ct. 658, 83 L.Ed.2d 582 (1985)) (emphasis added). As described in greater detail below, the jury’s findings in this case make clear that consumers are having grave difficulties distinguishing between the parties’ marks. It is with this in mind, and for the foregoing reasons, that the Court makes the following rulings on the parties’ post-verdict motions for injunctive relief: (1) the PTO is ordered to cancel Plaintiffs’ registration number 3,009,836 for the stylized mark PATSY’S PR for restaurant services; (2) the PTO is ordered to cancel Plaintiffs’ registration number 3,009,866 for the un-stylized mark PATSY’S for restaurant services not including pizza; (3) the PTO is ordered not to restore I.O.B. Realty, Inc’s registration number 2,213,574 for the mark PATSY’S PIZZERIA for restaurant services; (4) Plaintiffs are enjoined from using the mark PATSY’S alone in any advertising, signs, menus or anything similarly associated with their restaurant services; and (5) Defendants are enjoined from using the mark PATSY’S alone in any advertising, signs, menus or anything similarly associated with their pizzeria services. Additional injunctive relief is granted to Plaintiffs as described below. See infra Section III.D. The parties remaining motions are denied.

BACKGROUND

I assume familiarity with the facts of this case, including the procedural history and facts described in previous decisions in this case and in the “Sauce Litigation.” 1 I *435 do acknowledge that a full understanding of this Opinion and Order requires extensive prior knowledge of this case. It is simply an impossible and unwieldy task to include a complete set of facts and procedural history in a single document. The blame for this unfortunate situation lies with the convoluted and protracted manner in which the parties allowed this litigation to progress.

Instead, I will describe only so much of the background as is necessary to understand my rulings. Further, the reader is directed to the previous decisions in this case. Moving from oldest to most recent, a time line of the pertinent decisions in this action is as follows: Patsy’s Italian Rest., Inc. v. Banas, 2006 WL 3478988 (E.D.N.Y. Nov.30, 2006) (Docket Entry 32) 2 (Irizarry, J.) (affirming my order that this action be consolidated); Patsy’s Italian Rest., Inc. v. Banas, 2007 WL 174131 (E.D.N.Y. Jan.19, 2007) (Docket Entry 67) (Irizarry, J.) (granting in part plaintiffs’ motion to quash subpoena of plaintiffs’ counsel); Patsy’s Italian Rest, Inc. v. Banas, 508 F.Supp.2d 194 (E.D.N.Y.2007) (Docket Entry 110) (Irizarry, J.) (granting in part defendants’ motion to correct the PTO register and denying defendants’ remaining motions for summary judgment); Patsy’s Italian Rest., Inc. v. Banas, 2007 WL 3232232 (E.D.N.Y. Oct.31, 2007) (Docket Entry 117) (Irizarry, J.) (denying plaintiffs’ motion for reconsideration of the Court’s order to correct the PTO register); Patsy’s Italian Rest., Inc. v. Banas, 531 F.Supp.2d 483 (E.D.N.Y.2008) (Docket Entry 124) (Reyes, J.) (granting defendants’ motion in limine to exclude expert’s proffered testimony); Patsy’s Italian Rest, Inc. v. Banas, 2008 WL 495568 (E.D.N.Y. Feb.20, 2008) (Docket Entry 130) (Reyes, J.) (denying plaintiffs’ motion to amend action number 06-CV-5957 to add Patsy’s Brand, Inc. as a plaintiff); Patsy’s Italian Rest, Inc. v. Banas, 2008 WL 795341 (E.D.N.Y. Mar.24, 2008) (Docket Entry 175) (Reyes, J.) (rulings on the parties’ motions in limine); Patsy’s Italian Rest., Inc. v. Banas, 2008 WL 850151 (E.D.N.Y. Mar.26, 2008) (Docket Entry 177) (Reyes, J.) (reversing prior ruling and ordering that witness’s videotaped deposition is admissible); Patsy’s Italian Rest, Inc. v. Banas, 2008 WL 926401 (E.D.N.Y. Apr.3, 2008) (Docket Entry 188) (Reyes, J.) (denying plaintiffs’ motion to reconsider plaintiffs’ motion to dismiss defendants’ counterclaim).

I. The Parties

This case involves two long-standing and well-known eateries, each located in New York, New York, and each bearing the name “Patsy’s.” 3 Plaintiff Patsy’s Italian Restaurant, Inc. (“Patsy’s Italian Restaurant”) is a famous establishment located at 236 West 56th Street in New York, New York. Patsy’s Italian Restaurant was founded by Patsy Scognamillo, and after his death has been continuously owned and *436 operated by Mr. Scognamillo’s son, grandson and other family members. (See 3/31/08 Tr. at 41:18-43:22; 4/1/08 Tr.

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