Error: INTERNAL_ERROR for 0e623404-1ae8-2e30-14df-a6d1cefccd74: {"response":{"errors":[{"message":"INTERNAL_ERROR for 0e623404-1ae8-2e30-14df-a6d1cefccd74","locations":[{"line":74,"column":7}],"path":["youmightlike"],"extensions":{"classification":"INTERNAL_ERROR"}}],"data":{"articleData":{"uri":"/2020/06/01/eliminating-willfulness-as-a-prerequisite-to-recovering-an-infringers-damages-in-dilution-cases/","canonicalUrl":"https://www.lawjournalnewsletters.com/2020/06/01/eliminating-willfulness-as-a-prerequisite-to-recovering-an-infringers-damages-in-dilution-cases/","generatedId":"glf45gedlk","naturalId":"blogAndPostId/blog/post/382-31087","type":"ARTICLE","postFormat":"news","kickerPresentedBy":null,"presentedBy":"","title":"Eliminating Willfulness as a Prerequisite to Recovering an Infringer's Damages in Dilution Cases","readtime":"9","timeToRead":"9 minute","prettyModified":null,"prettyDateTime":"June 01, 2020 at 12:11 AM","needToKnow":[],"byline":"Sarah Benowich","authors":[{"name":"Sarah Benowich","description":"","imageLarge":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f16d6fc2845f417ea0e93a3f2b6cd37d?s=136&d=mm&r=g","webUrl":"/author/profile/sarah-benowich/"}],"publication":"Law Journal Newsletters","kicker":"Features","kickerNode":[{"name":"Features","slug":"features-kicker","uri":"/features/","sectionName":"Features"}],"prettyDate":"June 01, 2020","pubDate":"2020-06-01 00:11:46.000","modifiedDate":"","isDownload":"false","primaryCategory":{"channelName":"","sectionName":"","name":"","uri":"","slug":"","channelUri":""},"tags":[],"image":{"uri":"https://images.lawjournalnewsletters.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/382/2018/09/trademark2.jpg","width":"616","height":"372"},"embed1":"","embed2":"","summary":"Romag Fasteners, Inc. v. Fossil, Inc.\nThe Supreme Court, settling a circuit split, held that, although highly important, willfulness is not a prerequisite for a trademark infringement plaintiff to obtain a profits award.","categories":[{"name":"Features","uri":"/features/","channelName":"Kicker"},{"name":"The Intellectual Property Strategist","uri":"/ljn-newsletters/intellectual-property-strategist/","channelName":"LJN Newsletters"},{"name":"Intellectual Property","uri":"/intellectual-property/","channelName":"Topics"},{"name":"Litigation","uri":"/litigation/","channelName":"Topics"},{"name":"Trademarks","uri":"/trademarks/","channelName":"Topics"},{"name":"United States Supreme Court","uri":"/united-states-supreme-court/","channelName":"Topics"}],"bodyArray":["

On April 23, 2020, the Supreme Court rendered a decision in Romag Fasteners, Inc. v. Fossil, Inc., 590 U.S. ___ (2020), settling a circuit split and holding that, although highly important, willfulness is not a prerequisite for a trademark infringement plaintiff to obtain a profits award. In a relatively short decision, Justice Gorsuch, writing for the majority and joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Thomas, Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, Kagan, and Kavanaugh, rejected the Second Circuit's denial of disgorgement of profits after a jury found that a trademark infringer callously, but not willfully, infringed a business partner's trademark. Relying in large part on a textual distinction within the Lanham Act's damages provision, 15 U.S.C. Section 1117(a), the Court ruled that while there is a mens rea requirement to a profits award for trademark dilution under 15 U.S.C. 1125(c), Section 1125(a) has no such statutory language for trademark infringement, and reading in such language must be avoided. Justice Alito filed a one-paragraph concurring opinion, in which Justices Breyer and Kagan joined. Justice Sotomayor also filed a concurring opinion, agreeing only in the judgment that a plaintiff in a trademark infringement suit need not show that a defendant willfully infringed the plaintiff's trademark to obtain a profits award.

","

Although the Supreme Court clarified that willfulness is not mandatory to obtain this powerful remedy, the three opinions still highlight the relative importance for plaintiffs to show that defendants act with some mens rea in their infringement. This decision has significant implications in litigation planning and strategy, and in gaining greater insight into the still relatively new Justice Gorsuch's judicial style, as businesses and litigants are operating in an increasingly uncertain business environment.

"],"altLangHeadline":"","altLangBodyArray":[],"slides":[]},"youmightlike":null,"readnext":{"contents":[{"uri":"/2016/08/01/the-article-8-opt-in-2/","title":"The Article 8 Opt In","prettyDate":"","summary":"The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.","description":"The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.","kicker":"","image":{"uri":"https://feature.law.com/environments/stage/static/default-article-image.png","width":"0","height":"0"},"primaryCategory":{"name":"","uri":"","channelName":"","channelUri":""},"publication":"Law Journal Newsletters"},{"uri":"/2013/02/28/major-differences-in-uk-u-s-copyright-laws/","title":"Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws","prettyDate":"","summary":"This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.","description":"This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.","kicker":"","image":{"uri":"https://feature.law.com/environments/stage/static/default-article-image.png","width":"","height":""},"primaryCategory":{"name":"","uri":"","channelName":"","channelUri":""},"publication":"Law Journal Newsletters"},{"uri":"/2019/10/01/legal-possession-what-does-it-mean/","title":"Legal Possession: What Does It Mean?","prettyDate":"","summary":"Possession of real property is a matter of physical fact. Having the right or legal entitlement to possession is not \"possession,\" possession is \"the fact of having or holding property in one's power.\" That power means having physical dominion and control over the property.","description":"Possession of real property is a matter of physical fact. Having the right or legal entitlement to possession is not \"possession,\" possession is \"the fact of having or holding property in one's power.\" That power means having physical dominion and control over the property.","kicker":"Features","image":{"uri":"https://images.lawjournalnewsletters.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/382/2019/09/house_key.jpg","width":"616","height":"372"},"primaryCategory":{"name":"","uri":"","channelName":"","channelUri":""},"publication":"Law Journal Newsletters"},{"uri":"/2024/08/01/warehouse-liability-know-before-you-stow/","title":"Warehouse Liability: Know Before You Stow!","prettyDate":"August 01, 2024","summary":"As consumers continue to shift purchasing and consumption habits in the aftermath of the pandemic, manufacturers are increasingly reliant on third-party logistics and warehousing to ensure their products timely reach the market.","description":"As consumers continue to shift purchasing and consumption habits in the aftermath of the pandemic, manufacturers are increasingly reliant on third-party logistics and warehousing to ensure their products timely reach the market.","kicker":"Features","image":{"uri":"https://images.lawjournalnewsletters.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/382/2024/07/warehouse2.jpg","width":"620","height":"372"},"primaryCategory":{"name":"","uri":"","channelName":"","channelUri":""},"publication":"Law Journal Newsletters"},{"uri":"/2021/08/01/strategy-vs-tactics-two-sides-of-a-difficult-coin/","title":"Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin","prettyDate":"August 01, 2021","summary":"With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.","description":"With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.","kicker":"Features","image":{"uri":"https://images.lawjournalnewsletters.com/contrib/content/uploads/sites/382/2021/07/strategy4.jpg","width":"616","height":"372"},"primaryCategory":{"name":"","uri":"","channelName":"","channelUri":""},"publication":"Law Journal Newsletters"}]}},"extensions":{"DateTime":"2025-06-14T11:27:17.080592973","ResponseTime":"?","AuthorizedUser":false,"AlmContext":"AlmContext{clientIP='10.0.253.240', internalIP='true', origin='', authorizedUser='false', Chinchilla, userAccount='null', UCID=null, ipAccount='null'}","NavServiceResponse":{"message":"Show a wall","action":"show wall","data":"PayWallExcludedClient","placResultsPublic":{"overallContentType":"ExcludedContent","userState":"DENYNOSUB","showWall":"PayWallExcludedClient","userAccess":"0","referrer":"","userAccessCookie":null,"productList":"","contentMetaData":"

ARTICLE/2020/06/01/eliminating-willfulness-as-a-prerequisite-to-recovering-an-infringers-damages-in-dilution-cases/Law Journal Newsletters2020-06-01 00:11:46

Law Journal Newsletters

Features

The Intellectual Property Strategist

Intellectual Property

Litigation

Trademarks

United States Supreme Court

","numberOfViewsLeft":0,"numberOfFCFViewsLeft":0,"decisionEngine":"RidgeRunner","rulesFiredString":"[]","contentProductCodes":"[\"ljnip\",\"//ljnip\"]"}},"DebuggingData":null,"UsedCache":"true","DataUrl":"http://ml.alm.com:9016/bff-services/content/get-you-may-like-for-content.xqy?naturalId=/2020/06/01/eliminating-willfulness-as-a-prerequisite-to-recovering-an-infringers-damages-in-dilution-cases&site=www.lawjournalnewsletters.com&total="},"status":200,"headers":{}},"request":{"query":"query LawJournalNewsletterscom__Article{articleData:\n getContent(naturalId: \"/2020/06/01/eliminating-willfulness-as-a-prerequisite-to-recovering-an-infringers-damages-in-dilution-cases\", site:\"lawjournalnewsletters.com\") {\n uri\n canonicalUrl\n generatedId\n naturalId\n type\n postFormat\n kickerPresentedBy {\n \t\t label\n \t\t value\n \t\t}\n presentedBy\n title\n readtime\n timeToRead\n prettyModified\n prettyDateTime\n needToKnow\n byline\n authors {\n name\n description\n imageLarge\n webUrl\n }\n publication\n kicker\n kickerNode {\n name\n slug\n uri\n sectionName\n }\n prettyDate\n prettyDateTime\n pubDate\n modifiedDate\n isDownload\n primaryCategory {\n channelName\n sectionName\n name\n uri\n slug\n channelUri\n }\n tags\n image {\n uri\n width\n height\n }\n embed1\n embed2\n summary\n categories {\n name\n uri\n channelName\n }\n bodyArray\n altLangHeadline\n altLangBodyArray\n slides {\n image\n caption\n height\n width\n }\n\n\n }\n youmightlike:\n getYouMayLikeForContent(naturalId: \"/2020/06/01/eliminating-willfulness-as-a-prerequisite-to-recovering-an-infringers-damages-in-dilution-cases\", site:\"lawjournalnewsletters.com\") {\n uri\n title\n byline\n authors {\n name\n description\n imageLarge\n webUrl\n jobTitle\n }\n prettyDate\n readtime\n image {\n uri\n width\n height\n }\n summary\n }\n readnext:\n getStatsList(site:\"lawjournalnewsletters.com\", topic: \"\", limit: 5, timeframe: \"30days\" ) {\n contents {\n uri\n title\n prettyDate\n summary\n description\n kicker\n image {\n uri\n width\n height\n }\n primaryCategory {\n name\n uri\n channelName\n channelUri\n }\n publication\n }\n\n }\n }"}}

Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%