Troutman Pepper Partner Ben Wagner has notched a mission-critical trademark win on behalf of Guang Tai He Import Export, Inc., a Maryland-based flooring company, securing a permanent injunction from the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
The defendant’s improper federal registration of the generic term “SPC,” which is used industry wide as an acronym for “stone plastic composite” flooring, resulted in more than 16 containers of the plaintiff’s flooring being detained by U.S. Customs for using the term. Wagner filed an ex parte application for temporary restraining order (TRO), seeking preliminary injunctive relief, detailing the potential for irreparable harm to the client’s business. The Court agreed, first granting the TRO and a preliminary injunction, and then the permanent injunction.
“Without the Court’s judgement here, our client risked being run out of business for using a generic term that one individual tried to claim a monopoly on,” Wagner said. “We are pleased by the Court’s swift action to protect our client’s business.”
Original source can be found here.