United States Ninth Circuit

In a Lanham Act trademark infringement action, defendant used a mark in a secondary, trademark sense to denote a music band, thus the classic fair use defense does not apply, and a nominative fair use argument fails where defendant used the mark to suggest sponsorship or endorsement by the trademark holder.

Appellate Information

• Argued 11/06/2002
• Decided 01/28/2003
• Published 01/28/2003

Judges

• Before PREGERSON, NOONAN, and TASHIMA, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• Jeffrey S. Benice, Irvine, CA, for the defendant-counter-claimant-appellant., Phillip H. Stillman, Del Mar, CA, Edwin McPherson, McPherson & Kalmansohn, Los Angeles, CA, for the plaintiff-counter-defendant-appellee.