Class

Topics

Primary Materials

Reading Assignments

Slides and Handouts

Class 1

Monday, Jan. 7

I.  Introduction

 

Foundations of the idea of unfair competition

 

Unfair competition and copyright

· International News Service v. The Associated Press

· Dastar Corp. v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.

CB 1-32

 

(omit

CB 26, Note 3;

CB 27, Notes 4-5;

CB 28, Note 6;

CB 29, Note 9)

Slides

 

Class 2 Wednesday, Jan. 9

The constitutional basis of federal trademark protection

 

Trademark policy

 

II.  The “use” requirement

 

The traditional use requirement

· In re Trade-Mark Cases

· Blue Bell v. Farah Mfg.

· Zazu Designs v. L’Oreal

CB 32-62

Slides

 

Class 3

Monday, Jan. 14

Analogous use

 

Federal registration and intent-to-use

 

III.  The geographic scope of trademark rights

 

The common law approach

· Maryland Stadium Authority v. Becker

· WarnerVision Entertainment v. Empire of Carolina

· United Drug Co. v. Theodore Rectanus Co.

CB 62-90

 

(omit

CB 76, Note 3)

 

 

 

Slides 

Class 4

Wednesday, Jan. 16

Federal registration and geographic scope

 

International use and domestic rights

· Dawn Donut v. Hart’s Food Stores

· Burger King v. Hoots

· Person’s Co. v. Christman

CB 90-121

 

(omit

CB 102, Note 5;

CB 119, Note 3)

Slides 

Class 5

Wednesday, Jan. 23

Parallel imports

 

IV.  Distinctiveness

 

Descriptive marks and the spectrum of distinctiveness

· K Mart Corp. v. Cartier

· Lever Brothers v. U.S.

· Zatarains v. Oak Grove Smokehouse

CB 122-56

Slides

Customs "Lever rule" reg
 

Class 6

Monday, Jan. 28

Generic words

· Anti-Monopoly v. General Mills Fun Group

· Genesee Brewing Co. v. Stroh Brewing Co.

CB 156-90

 

(omit

CB 168-72, Notes 4-6)

Slides 

Class 7

Wednesday, Jan. 30

Primarily merely a surname

 

Deceptive marks

 

Primarily geographically deceptively misdescriptive marks

· Peaceable Planet v. Ty, Inc.

· In re Budge Mfg. Co.

· In re California Innovations, Inc.

CB 190-212

Slides 

Class 8

Monday, Feb. 4

Objectionable marks

 

Federal registration and presumption of validity

· Pro-Football v. Harjo

· Park ‘N Fly v. Dollar Park and Fly

CB 212-49

Slides 

Blackhorse v. Pro-Football story

Harbowl story

Class 9

Wednesday, Feb. 6

V.  Protection of trade dress

 

Common law

 

Preemption of state law protection

· Kellogg v. National Biscuit Co.

· Crescent Tool Co. v. Kilborn & Bishop Co.

· Sears, Roebuck & Co. v. Stiffel Co.

· Compco Corp. v. Day-Brite Lighting

CB 250-74

 

(omit

CB 268, Note 1)

Slides 

Class 10

Monday, Feb. 11

Federal trade dress claims

 

— Distinctiveness

· Two Pesos v. Taco Cabana

· Qualitex v. Jacobson Products

CB 274-302

 

(omit

CB 287, Note 9;

CB 301, Note 4)

Slides

Class 11

Wednesday, Feb. 13

— Functionality

· Wal-Mart Stores v. Samara Bros.

· TrafFix Devices v. Marketing Displays

CB 302-29

Slides

Class 12

Monday, Feb. 18

VI.  Trademark ownership

 

Initial ownership

 

Assignments

 

Licenses

· Sengoku Works v. RMC Int’l

· Sugar Busters v. Brennan

· Barcamerica v. Tyfield Importers

CB 330-60

 

(omit

CB 351, Note 5)

Slides 

Class 13

Wednesday, Feb. 20

Abandonment by nonuse

 

VII. Trademark infringement

 

Likelihood of confusion

· Silverman v. CBS

· Estee Lauder v. The Gap

CB 360-389

Slides 

Sample outline for trade dress issues

Class 14

Monday, Feb. 25

Promotional goods

 

Post-sale confusion

 

Initial-interest confusion

· Boston Professional Hockey Ass’n v. Dallas Cap & Emblem

· Ferrari S.P.A. v. Roberts

· Mobil Oil v. Pegasus Petroleum

CB 390-416

 

(omit

CB 401, Note 10)

Slides 

Class 15

Wednesday, Feb. 27

Reverse confusion

 

Parody

· A & H Sportswear v. Victoria’s Secret

· Anheuser-Busch v. L. & L. Wings

· Anheuser-Busch v. Balducci Publications

CB 416-50

 

Slides 

Coke commercial parody

Jesus Jeans story

Class 16

Monday, Mar. 4

 

Secondary liability

 

VIII. Dilution

 

Theory of dilution

 

Fame

· Hard Rock Cafe v. Concession Services

· Ty Inc. v. Perryman

· Coach Services v. Triumph Learning

CB 450-62

(omit

CB 459, Note 4)

CB 476-77 (Note 4 only)

CB 478-88

 

Handout: Coach Svcs. v. Triumph

Slides

Class 17

Wednesday, Mar. 6

Dilution by blurring and tarnishment

 

Parody

 

· Starbucks v. Wolfe’s Borough Coffee

· Visa v. JSL Corp.

· V Secret Catalogue v. Moseley

· Louis Vuitton Malletier v. Haute Diggity Dog

 

Handout: Starbucks v. Wolfe’s

 

Handout: Visa v. JSL Corp.

 

Handout: V Secret Catalogue v. Moseley

 

CB 523-34

 

Slides

Penn poster

Letter from LV

Letter from Penn GC

Class 18

Monday, Mar. 18

IX.  Trademark defenses

 

Fair use

 

Descriptive use and nominative use

· Canal Co. v. Clark

· KP Permanent Make-Up v. Lasting Impression

· Champion Spark Plug v. Sanders

· Smith v. Chanel

· New Kids on the Block v. News America Publishing

CB 536-67

 

(omit

CB 547, Note 4;

CB 551, Note 2)

Slides

Class 19

Wednesday, Mar. 20

Laches, estoppel, and acquiescence

 

The First Amendment

· Conan Properties, Inc. v. Conans Pizza

· Kellogg v. Exxon

· Mattel v. MCA Records

CB 567-602

 

(omit

CB 588, Note 5)

Slides

elements of a dilution claim

Class 20

Monday, Mar. 25

X.  Trademarks on the Internet

· Brookfield Communications v. West Coast Entertainment

CB 603-30

CB 670-71

Slides

Class 21

Wednesday, Mar. 27

Domain names

 

Gripe sites

· Interstellar Starship Services v. Epix

· Bosley Medical Institute v. Kremer

· Lucas Nursery v. Grosse

CB 630-62

 

Slides

Class 22

Monday, Apr. 1

Search engines

 

Trademark use

· Playboy v. Netscape

· Rosetta Stone v. Google

· Rescuecom v. Google

·  

CB 662-86

 

Handout: Rosetta Stone v. Google

 

(omit

CB 672, Note 3;

CB 673, Note 5;

CB 674, Note 6)

Slides

Class 23

Wednesday, Apr. 3

XI.  Remedies

 

Injunctive relief

 

Monetary damages and attorney’s fees

· North American Medical v. Axiom

· Maltina Corp. v. Cawy Bottling

· Texas Pig Stands v. Hard Rock Cafe

CB 687-714

Slides

Class 24

Monday, Apr. 8

Reverse confusion

 

Counterfeit goods

 

XII.  False and misleading advertising

 

“False or misleading”

· Sands, Taylor v. Quaker Oats

· U.S. v. Torkington

· American Home Products v. Johnson and Johnson

 

CB 722-53

 

(omit

CB 734, Notes 2 & 3;

CB 742, Note 2)

Slides

Class 25

Wednesday, Apr. 10

Materiality and puffery

· United Industries v. Clorox

· Pizza Hut v. Papa John’s

 

 

CB 753-84

Slides

Class 26

Monday, Apr. 15

Review session