Opinion
Case No. 8:09-cv-1370-T-27AEP.
July 29, 2011
ORDER
BEFORE THE COURT is Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment for Trademark Infringement (Dkt. 40) and Plaintiff's response (Dkt. 41). Upon consideration, the Court concludes that the Motion for Summary Judgment should be denied.
Background
For purposes of summary judgment, the Court construes the facts in the light most favorable to Plaintiffs. See, e.g., Adickes v. S.H. Kress Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157 (1970); Jackson v. BellSouth Telecomms., 372 F.3d 1250, 1280 (11th Cir. 2004).
Plaintiff Claudia Croft ("Croft") is the manufacturer of certain non-piercing nipple jewelry sold under the trade name "Nipple Huggers." Affidavit of Claudia Croft (Dkt. 41) ("Croft Aff."), ¶ 2. Croft is also the owner of Plaintiff Sheer Delight, Inc. which markets and sells the Nipple Hugger products. Complaint (Dkt. 1), ¶ 7.
As an alternative to piercing, Nipple Huggers are designed to attach to the wearer by gripping or "hugging" the nipple. Croft Aff., ¶ 3. Croft patented the "Nipple Hugger Jewelry System" and has registered the mark "Nipple Huggers" for "wire jewelry adorning the breast nipples of the wearer." Complaint, Exhibits A and D.
The function and design of the "Nipple Hugger Jewelry System" is more fully described in U.S. Patent No. 6,758,061 (July 6, 2004), attached as Exhibit A to the Complaint.
The "Nipple Huggers" mark was originally registered on September 14, 2004. The United States Patent Trademark Office cancelled the trademark on April 15, 2011, due to Croft's failure to file certain documentation. Croft has indicated that she intended to re-register the mark. See Croft Aff., ¶¶ 8-9. An online search reveals that Croft and Under the Hoode, LLC have recently filed trademark applications for "Nipple Huggers" and "Nipple Hugger," respectively.
Defendant Jeanette M. Lewis owns and controls a business operating the website www.underthehoode.com. Declaration of Jeanette M. Lewis (Dkt. 40-2) ("Lewis Decl."), ¶ 1. Underthehoode.com offers various adult articles for sale, including non-piercing wire jewelry designed to attach to the nipples of the wearer. The website refers to this jewelry in various locations as "Nipple Huggers," "nipple huggers," and "Under the Hoode(TM) Nipple Huggers." Complaint, Ex. C.
A description of the jewelry sold on Underthehood.com provides: "Huggers attach easily by opening the hook closure, encircling the erect nipple from underneath and up each side, then complete attachment by closing the hook feature at the top of the nipple for a nice, snug grip." Complaint, Ex.C.
Plaintiffs allege that Defendant's use of the term "Nipple Huggers" to promote her competing line of non-piercing jewelry constitutes trademark infringement.
Plaintiffs also assert a claim for patent infringement. Defendant has not moved for summary judgment on that claim.
Summary Judgment Standard
Summary judgment is proper if, following discovery, the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, affidavits and admissions on file show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322 (1986); Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). "An issue of fact is `material' if, under the applicable substantive law, it might affect the outcome of the case." Hickson Corp. v. N. Crossarm Co., 357 F.3d 1256, 1259-60 (11th Cir. 2004). "An issue of fact is `genuine' if the record taken as a whole could lead a rational trier of fact to find for the nonmoving party." Id. at 1260. All the evidence and factual inferences reasonably drawn from the evidence must be viewed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Adickes v. S.H. Kress Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157 (1970); Jackson v. BellSouth Telecomms., 372 F.3d 1250, 1280 (11th Cir. 2004).Once a party properly makes a summary judgment motion by demonstrating the absence of a genuine issue of material fact, the nonmoving party must go beyond the pleadings through the use of affidavits, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions on file, and designate specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323-24. The evidence must be significantly probative to support the claims. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249 (1986).
"If the movant bears the burden of proof on an issue, because, as defendant, it is asserting an affirmative defense, it must establish that there is no genuine issue of material fact as to any element of that defense." Int'l Stamp Art, Inc. v. U.S. Postal Serv., 456 F.3d 1270, 1274 (11th Cir. 2006) (citing Martin v. Alamo Community College Dist., 353 F.3d 409, 412 (5th Cir. 2003)). Moreover, "[b]ecause of the intensely factual nature of trademark disputes, summary judgment is generally disfavored in the trademark arena." KP Permanent Make-Up, Inc. v. Lasting Impression I, Inc., 408 F.3d 596, 602 (9th Cir. 2005) (quoting Entrepreneur Media, Inc. v. Smith, 279 F.3d 1135, 1140 (9th Cir. 2002)); see also EMI Catalogue Partnership v. Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, 228 F.3d 56 (2nd Cir 2000) (reversing summary judgment in favor of defendants when issues of fact existed as to whether use of phrase was descriptive and in good faith); United States v. Six Thousand Ninety-Four (6,094) "Gecko" Swimming Trunks, 949 F. Supp. 768, 774-75 (D. Haw. 1996) (denying defendant's motion for summary judgment on fair-use defense).
Discussion
Defendant moves for summary judgment on Plaintiffs' claim for trademark infringement (Count II) based on the defense of fair use. Specifically, Defendant argues that she did not use the term "Nipple Huggers" as a trademark, she used the term in a descriptive sense to describer her non-piercing intimate jewelry, and she used the term in good faith. See Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment (Dkt. 40), p. 1."A fair-use defense is established if a defendant proves that its use is `(1) other than as a mark, (2) in a descriptive sense, and (3) in good faith.'" Int'l Stamp Art, Inc., 456 F.3d at 1270 (quoting EMI Catalogue, 228 F.3d at 64). "The `fair-use' defense, in essence, forbids a trademark registrant to appropriate a descriptive term for [its] exclusive use and so prevent others from accurately describing a characteristic of their goods." Soweco, Inc. v. Shell Oil Co., 617 F.2d 1178, 1185 (5th Cir. 1980). The determination of whether a term is used in a trademark or a descriptive sense and the determination that a defendant's use was in good faith are questions of fact. Packman v. Chicago Tribune Co., 267 F.3d 628, 637 (7th Cir. 2001).
"Nevertheless, these issues may be resolved on summary judgment `if the evidence is so one-sided that there can be no doubt about how the question should be answered.'" Packman, 267 F.3d at 637 (quoting Door Sys., Inc. v. Pro-Line Door Sys., Inc., 83 F.3d 169, 171 (7th Cir. 1996)).
Construed favorably to Plaintiffs, the non-moving parties, the undisputed facts relied on by Defendant do not demonstrate that Defendant is entitled to summary judgment on the issue of fair use. See, e.g., Int'l Stamp Art, Inc., 456 F.3d at 1276 ("Failure to employ a non-infringing, commercially viable alternative can raise a genuine issue of material fact."); Sands, Taylor Wood Co. v. Quaker Oats, Inc., 978 F.2d 947, 954 (7th Cir. 1992) (rejecting the proposition that "a defendant's use of a term in conjunction with its own trademark [is] per se a use `other than as a trademark'"); Dayton Progress Corp. v. Lane Punch Corp., 917 F.2d 836, 840 (4th Cir. 1990) ("mere inclusion of [corporate] logo on the product is not sufficient to establish the defense of fair use"); Sierra On-Line, Inc. v. Phoenix Software, Inc., 739 F.2d 1415, 1423 (9th Cir. 1984) (holding that good faith is put at issue by choice of infringing phrase when other phrases were available because it may indicate "an intent to trade on [mark holder's] good will and product identity"); Woodroast Sys., Inc. v. Restaurants Unlimited, Inc., 793 F. Supp. 906, 914 (D. Minn. 1992) (defendant restaurant's use of its service marks in conjunction with descriptive term "woodroast" does not necessarily establish fair use thereof); see also Sunmark, Inc. v. Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., 64 F.3d 1055, 1060 (7th Cir. 1995) (court observed that if defendant were to use "sweet-tart" on candy rather then beverage, i.e., if the parties were in competition with each other, plaintiff "would have a strong claim for relief").
Accordingly, it is ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment for Trademark Infringement (Dkt. 40) is DENIED. DONE AND ORDERED in chambers.