Startup Company Files Suit Over Unauthorized Trademark Use

ByAlissa Kruidenier

|

Updated onDecember 22, 2017

Startup Company Files Suit Over Unauthorized Trademark Use

When the former employee of a European organic foods startup used the company’s trademarks, she was sued for violating trademark law. After moving to Oregon in order to establish the US branch of the startup, the manager decided to found her own business on the side and utilize her employer’s trademark. In her attempt to establish her own GMO-free farming business in Portland, the manager retained a law firm to aid her in transferring the trademark from her previous employer to her new venture, and did not ask the permission of the Slovakian startup. After a suit was filed against the manager, a trademark attorney was required to review the case and determine what duty the defendant law firms had to obtain the express approval of the owner of the trademark before conducting a transfer.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. Please briefly describe your experience working with trademarks.

2. Generally, is it necessary to identify and gain the approval of the owner of a trademark before engaging in a transfer?

Expert Witness Response E-075277

inline imageThis doesn’t seem like too complex of an issue; you can't transfer any type of property, including trademarks, without the owner's permission. I've written book chapters on IP expert witnesses and have hired numerous experts in the past, so I'm very familiar with the process, and have spent more than half of my legal career working in trademark litigation. I am still actively practicing and litigating trademark suits, in addition to my professorship, publishing, and lecturing responsibilities.

About the author

Alissa Kruidenier

Alissa Kruidenier

Alissa Kruidenier is a Columbia University graduate who specializes in international development, security, and diplomacy.

Find an expert witness near you

What State is your case in?

What party are you representing?