Trademark and Unfair Competition Law

Willie Stroever

Trademark and Unfair Competition Law

10/14/05

Paper Outline and Bibliography

I. Introduction: In this paper I plan to examine permissible uses of trademark parodies, what makes some uses different (or more acceptable) than others, and possibly how courts arrive at their conclusions.

II. Fields of trademark parodies: In this section I will examine different uses of trademark parodies and compare and contrast the facts as well as the justifications for courts’ decisions. I will also look at how courts apply different tests in different situations. The fields I will be examining will include:

A. Internet websites

B. Photographs

C. Television/Movies/Advertising

D. T-Shirts

III. In this section I will attempt to identify what courts are looking for in a permissible trademark parody or whether there is even agreement on what a permissible trademark parody is. I will also answer questions about how important the intent of the alleged infringer is; how important the existence of some ill effect on the Plaintiff is; and whether trademark parodies should ever be found to infringe.

Bibliography

Lamparello v. Falwell, 420 F.3d 309 (4th Cir. 2005)

Bosley Medical Institute, Inc. v. Kremer, 403 F.3d 672 (9th Cir. 2005)

TMI, Inc. v. Maxwell, 368 F.3d 433 (5th Cir. 2004)

Coca-Cola v. Purdy, 382 F.3d 774 (8th Cir. 2004)

Parks v. LaFace Records, 329 F.3d 437 (6th Cir. 2003)

Mattel, Inc. v. Walking Mountain Productions, 353 F.3d 792 (9th Cir. 2003)

Ty, Inc. v. Publications Intern. Ltd., 292 F.3d 512 (7th Cir. 2002)

Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. v. Capece, 141 F.3d 188 (5th Cir. 1998)

Hormel Foods Corp. v. Jim Henson Productions, Inc., 73 F.3d 497 (2d Cir. 1996)

Deere & Co. v. MTD Products, Inc., 41 F.3d 39 (2d Cir. 1994)

Nike, Inc. v. Just Did It Enterprises, 6 F.3d 1225 (7th Cir. 1993)

Anheuser-Busch, Inc. v. L. & L. Wings, Inc., 962 F.2d 316 (4th Cir. 1992)

Mastercard International Inc. v. Nader 2000 Primary Committee, Inc., 70 U.S.P.Q.2d 1046; 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3644 (S.D.N.Y. 2004)

Tommy Hilfiger Licensing, Inc. v. Nature Labs, LLC, 221 F.Supp.2d 410 (S.D.N.Y. 2002)

World Wrestling Federation Entertainment Inc. v. Big Dog Holdings, Inc., 280 F.Supp.2d 413 (W.D. Pa. 2003)

Harriette K. Dorsen, Satiric Appropriation and the Law of Libel, Trademark, and Copyright: Remedies Without Wrongs, 65 Boston University Law Review 923 (November, 1985)

William G. Phelps, Parody as Trademark or Tradename Dilution or Infringement, 179 A.L.R. Fed. 181

Gregory G. Sarno, Libel or Slander: Defamation by Statement Made in Jest, 57 A.L.R. 4th 520

Sarah Mayhew Schlosser, The High Price of (Criticizing) Coffee: The Chilling Effect of the Federal Trademark Dilution Act on Corporate Parody, 43 Arizona Law Review 931 (Winter, 2001)

Tyrone Tasker, Parody or Satire as a Defense to Trademark Infringement, 77 Trademark Rep. 216 (May-June, 1987)