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โ„ข๏ธTrademark Law Unit 5 Review

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5.4 Remedies for Trademark Infringement

โ„ข๏ธTrademark Law
Unit 5 Review

5.4 Remedies for Trademark Infringement

Written by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated September 2025
โ„ข๏ธTrademark Law
Unit & Topic Study Guides

Trademark infringement remedies protect brand owners and deter violations. Courts can issue injunctions, award damages, order corrective advertising, and even seize counterfeit goods. These tools aim to stop infringement, compensate owners, and prevent future violations.

Willful infringement carries harsher penalties, including treble damages. Attorneys' fees may be awarded in exceptional cases. Courts consider factors like case strength and litigation conduct when deciding on fees. These additional remedies further discourage deliberate trademark violations.

Trademark Infringement Remedies

Remedies for trademark infringement

  • Injunctive relief prevents continued infringement through court orders (preliminary injunctions, permanent injunctions)
  • Monetary damages compensate trademark owners for losses (actual damages, defendant's profits, statutory damages for counterfeits)
  • Corrective advertising rectifies consumer confusion caused by infringement
  • Destruction of infringing articles eliminates unauthorized products from the market
  • Cancellation or transfer of domain names removes infringing online presence
  • Seizure and impoundment of counterfeit goods removes fake products from circulation
  • Enhanced damages for willful infringement penalize intentional violators
  • Attorneys' fees and costs reimburse legal expenses in exceptional cases

Requirements for injunctive relief

  • Likelihood of success on the merits demonstrates strong infringement claim
  • Irreparable harm shows damage cannot be adequately compensated by money alone
  • Balance of hardships weighs impact on both parties if injunction granted or denied
  • Public interest considers broader societal implications of granting injunction
  • Nexus between infringement and harm establishes causal link
  • Adequacy of monetary damages assesses if financial compensation suffices
  • Timeliness of the request ensures prompt action by plaintiff

Factors for monetary damages

  • Actual damages quantify direct financial losses (lost sales, price erosion, reputation damage)
  • Defendant's profits calculate ill-gotten gains from infringement (revenue minus allowable expenses)
  • Causation links infringement to financial harm
  • Apportionment of profits determines portion attributable to infringement
  • Market conditions assess external factors influencing damages
  • Duration of infringement considers time period of unauthorized use
  • Defendant's intent evaluates level of culpability
  • Plaintiff's duty to mitigate requires reasonable efforts to minimize losses

Willful Infringement and Additional Considerations

Willful infringement and remedies

  • Willful infringement involves knowing, intentional trademark violations
  • Factors indicating willfulness include prior knowledge of mark, continued use after notice, deliberate copying
  • Enhanced remedies may include treble damages, higher statutory damages for counterfeits
  • Burden of proof typically falls on plaintiff to demonstrate willfulness
  • Willfulness often relevant in determining attorneys' fees awards

Attorneys' fees in infringement cases

  • Exceptional case standard guides fee awards in trademark disputes
  • Factors for awarding fees include case strength, litigation conduct, deterrence goals
  • Recoverable costs may encompass filing fees, expert witnesses, deposition expenses
  • Reasonableness of fees assessed based on market rates and time spent
  • Proper documentation required to support fee claims
  • Fee awards can significantly impact settlement negotiations and litigation strategy