SATA GmbH & Co. KG v. USA Italco International Limited

CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedSeptember 20, 2019
Docket3:18-cv-00351
StatusUnknown

This text of SATA GmbH & Co. KG v. USA Italco International Limited (SATA GmbH & Co. KG v. USA Italco International Limited) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
SATA GmbH & Co. KG v. USA Italco International Limited, (D. Nev. 2019).

Opinion

1 DICKINSON WRIGHT PLLC Steven A. Caloiaro 2 Nevada Bar No. 12344 100 West Liberty Street 3 Suite 940 Reno, NV 89501 4 Tel: (775) 343-7500 Fax: (844) 670-6009 5 Email: scaloiaro@dickinsonwright.com 6 Attorney for Plaintiff SATA GmbH & Co. KG 7 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 8 DISTRICT OF NEVADA 9 SATA GmbH & Co. KG, a German Case No.: 3:18-cv-00351-MMD-WGC corporation, 10 Plaintiff, ORDER GRANTING 11 PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR DEFAULT JUDGMENT, 12 v. PERMANENT INJUNCTION, AND ATTORNEY FEES 13 USA ITALCO INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, a New York Company; Zhejiang Auarita 14 Pneumatic Tools L.L.C. d.b.a. Auarita, a foreign entity 15 Defendants. 16 17 Plaintiff SATA GmbH & Co. KG (“SATA”) moves for default judgment, permanent 18 injunction, and attorney’s fees against Defendants USA ITALCO INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, 19 a New York Company (“ITALCO”); and Zhejiang Auarita Pneumatic Tools L.L.C. d.b.a. Auarita, 20 (“AUARITA”) a foreign entity, (collectively “Defendants”) in this action for trademark 21 counterfeiting, trademark infringement, unfair competition, and patent infringement. (ECF No. 21) 22 Having weighed the factors outlined by the Ninth Circuit in Eitel v. McCool, 782 F.2d 1470, 1471 23 (9th Cir. 1986), the Court grants SATA’s motion for default judgment, awards statutory damages, 24 issues a permanent injunction, and awards attorney’s fees. 25 FINDINGS OF FACT 26 SATA is a century-old German Corporation that manufactures paint spray guns and related 27 equipment worldwide. (ECF No. 21 at 3.) SATA’s United States-directed business produces over 28 $15 million annually with more than 100,000 paint spray guns and reservoirs sold. (Id. at 4.) SATA 1 owns ten (10) trademark registrations that it claims Defendants infringed: (1) a design mark for a 2 green band of color extended around the circumference of a paint spray gun air cap ring 3 (Registration No. 2,770,801); (2) a design mark for a band of any color extended around the 4 circumference of a paint spray gun air cap ring (Registration No. 2,793,583); (3) a design mark for 5 a band of red color extending around the circumference of a paint reservoir for a paint spray gun 6 (Registration No. 3,072,417); (4) a design mark for a band of blue color extending around the 7 circumference of a paint reservoir for a paint spray gun (Registration No. 2,774,593); (5) a design 8 mark for a green grip base plate (Registration No. 3,153,260); (6) “1000” (Registration No. 9 4,920,510); (7) “2000” (Registration No. 4,920,511); (8) “3000” (Registration No. 4,920,512); (9) 10 “4000” (Registration No. 4,666,773); and (10) “5000” (Registration No. 4,731,525) (collectively 11 “SATA Marks”) (Id. at 4-5.) SATA uses the SATA Marks to advertise and promote its products 12 throughout the United States and the world. (Id. at 4.) 13 SATA also has eight (8) design patents that it claims Defendants infringed: (1) an 14 ornamental design for a spray gun head ring (Patent No. U.S. D459,432); and (2) an ornamental 15 design for a paint spray gun head ring (Patent No. U.S. D459,433); (3) an ornamental design for a 16 spray gun head ring (Patent No. U.S. D770,593); (4) an ornamental design for a spray gun (Patent 17 No. U.S. D548,816); (5) an ornamental design for a paint spray gun rear portion (Patent No. U.S. 18 D758,537); (6) an ornamental design for a spray gun (Patent No. U.S. D644,716); (7) an ornamental 19 design for an identification tag (Patent No. U.S. D655,347); and (8) an ornamental design for a 20 paint spray gun (Patent No. U.S. D552,715) (collectively “SATA Patents”) (Id. at 5-6.) 21 In or around July of 2017, SATA discovered that an influx of counterfeit SATA guns were 22 being distributed on the west coast branded under the name ITALCO (“Counterfeit Paint Spray 23 Guns”). (Id. at 6). Upon investigation, SATA uncovered two distributors, one based in Phoenix, 24 Arizona, and one based in Sacramento, California. (Id.) These distributors were distributing, 25 advertising, offering for sale, and selling several ITALCO paint spray gun models. Id. On Friday, 26 June 30, 2017, SATA’s investigator purchased an ITALCO 5000 for $350. Id. The ITALCO model 27 infringes on approximately seven (7) SATA Marks and SATA Patents. Id. On August 25, 2017, 28 SATA’s investigator was able to purchase an ITALCO H-4000 Sprayer and ITALCO H-5000 1 sprayer for a combined amount of $756. Id. Those two models infringe a number of SATA’s 2 intellectual property. 3 On October 31, 2017, SATA representatives attended the SEMA trade show in Las Vegas, 4 Nevada, and became aware of Defendants’ presence because several vendors and consumers were 5 talking about a knock-off SATA gun that was half the cost that had recently become available. (Id. 6 at 7.) SATA then became aware that a local Las Vegas auto paint company was selling Defendants’ 7 Counterfeit Paint Spray Guns. (Id.) On Tuesday, November 1, 2017, SATA representatives visited 8 the auto paint company’s store and, when they inquired about the availability of the Counterfeit 9 Paint Spray Guns, they were informed that the store had recently sold two pallets, but they could 10 receive a new shipment by request within two weeks. (Id.) The store employees referred to the 11 Counterfeit Paint Spray Guns as “knock off SATAs.” (Id.). The store also provided a 12 representative sample of an ITALCO H-5000. (Id.) On December 21, 2017, SATA filed an action 13 against the store for the Counterfeit Paint Spray Guns. See Case No. 2:17-cv-03101. The case 14 against the store was subsequently settled. 15 During the litigation, SATA learned that Defendants were actively soliciting customers in 16 the United States. (ECF No. 1, Exs. D, E.) An individual named Betty, who listed herself as a 17 “Sales Manager,” sent several versions of the paint spray guns on behalf of the parent company 18 AUARITA. (Id.) The Las Vegas auto paint company later purchased Counterfeit Paint Spray Guns 19 directly from AUARITA, and received the shipment in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Id.) 20 SATA also discovered that Defendants operate websites containing advertisements for the 21 Counterfeit Spray Guns. (ECF No. 21 at 7.) The websites also include the Counterfeit Paint Spray 22 Guns. (Id.) SATA then filed this suit, asserting trademark counterfeiting, trademark infringement, 23 unfair competition, and patent infringement. (ECF No. 1.) 24 On August 28, 2018, ITALCO was served with a copy of the Complaint by personal 25 service. (ECF No. 11.) ITALCO failed to answer or otherwise respond to SATA’s Complaint. See 26 generally, Docket. Accordingly, on September 25, 2018, SATA filed a request for entry of default. 27 (ECF No. 13.) The Clerk of the Court entered Default against ITALCO on September 26, 2018. 28 (ECF No. 14.) 1 On September 17, 2018, this Court entered its notice regarding Intention to Dismiss 2 Pursuant to Rule 4(m) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. (ECF No. 10.) In response, SATA 3 filed a Motion for Leave to Obtain Service of Process through Alternative Means or, in the 4 Alternative, Motion to Extend Time for Service. (ECF No. 12) In its Motion, SATA moved this 5 Court under Fed. R. Civ. P. 4 to allow SATA to serve the Complaint and Summons on AUARITA 6 via electronic mail. A hearing on SATA’s motion was held on October 23, 2018.

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SATA GmbH & Co. KG v. USA Italco International Limited, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sata-gmbh-co-kg-v-usa-italco-international-limited-nvd-2019.