United States Fourth Circuit

In a trademark infringement dispute, a district court order enjoining plaintiff from maintaining his gripe website critical of Reverend Jerry Falwell is reversed where there is no likelihood of confusion between the parties' websites.

Appellate Information

• Argued 05/26/2005
• Decided 08/24/2005
• Published 08/24/2005

Judges

• Before MICHAEL, MOTZ, and KING, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• ARGUED:  Paul Alan Levy, Public Citizen Litigation Group, Washington, D.C., for Christopher Lamparello.  John Holbrook Midlen, Jr., Midlen Law Center, Chevy Chase, Maryland, for Jerry Falwell and Jerry Falwell Ministries.   ON BRIEF:  Allison M. Zieve, Public Citizen Litigation Group, Washington, D.C., for Christopher Lamparello.  Phillip R. Malone, Bruce P. Keller, Jeffrey P. Cunard, Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts;  Rebecca Tushnet, Visiting Associate Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C., for Amici Curiae, Intellectual Property Law Faculty, Supporting Christopher Lamparello.  Rebecca K. Glenberg, American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia Foundation, Inc., Richmond, Virginia;  Michael Adams, American Civil Liberties Union, New York, New York, for Amici Curiae, American Civil Liberties Union and American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia Foundation, Inc., Supporting Christopher Lamparello.