Landmark IP Litigation Series: Roger Cleveland Golf Company, Inc. v. Prince

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Landmark IP Litigation Series: Roger Cleveland Golf Company, Inc. v. Prince

In March of this year, the Roger Cleveland Golf Company, Inc. (Cleveland® Golf/Srixon®) won a landmark case against Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and web hosting firm, Bright Builders Inc., for contributory trademark infringement for its services to www.copycatclubs.com, an online business that sold counterfeit Cleveland Golf clubs. Bright Builders was found liable for contributory trademark infringement on 11 Cleveland Golf trademarks, and was ordered to pay $770,750 in damages.

 

This decision is significant as the first verdict against a web services provider for contributory infringement without prior notification of counterfeit sales from a third party. The outcome of this case indicates that SEO, web hosting, and other web service companies should consider taking proactive steps to stop infringing sales when they know or should have known that these illegal sales are occurring on the websites that they support..

 

Our panel of speakers includes two representatives from Cleveland Golf/Srixon – Donald Reino, Vice President of Legal Affairs, and Stephen Gingrich, Vice President of Global Legal Enforcement and HR. Joining them will be two representatives from the Nelson Mullins trial team – Christopher Finnerty, Partner and Head of the Online Brand Equity and Strategic Distribution Group, and Jeffrey Patterson, Partner and Lead Litigation Counsel.

 

Click here to view the presentation.

 

About OpSec Security, Inc.

OpSec Security, Inc. is the global leader in anti-counterfeiting and brand protection management solutions. OpSec Brand Protection delivers a full suite of product security and online monitoring technologies and services. OpSec's products protect brand owners from counterfeiting, gray market diversion, intellectual property infringement, and brand abuse.  For more information, please visit www.opsecsecurity.com, or call 617.226.3000.

About Cleveland® Golf/Srixon®

Cleveland® Golf, Srixon®, Never Compromise® and Cleveland Classics™ apparel are brands owned by SRI Sports Limited. With corporate headquarters based in Kobe, Japan, SRI Sports is the fourth largest golf company in the world, as well as one of the world's leading patent holders in golf ball technology. For more information, please contact Keith Patterson, PR/Media Relations Manager (714.889.5808) or visit http://www.clevelandgolf.com/ and http://www.srixon.com/ 

About Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

Established in 1897, Nelson Mullins has more than 400 attorneys and government relations professionals practicing from 12 office locations in the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia. For more information on the firm, go to http://www.nelsonmullins.com/, or call 803.255.9794.