Wednesday, November 24, 2010

7th Circuit: Baha'i Groups Not Bound By Old Trademark Injunction

In National Spiritual Assembly of Baha'is of the United States of America Under the Hereditary Guardianship, Inc. v. National Spiritual Assembly of Baha'is of the United States of America, Inc., (7th Cir., Nov. 23, 2010), the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals refused to apply a 1966 injunction in a trademark infringement case to defendant religious groups finding that they were not in sufficient privity with the original defendants to be covered by the 40-year old injunction. At issue is the use of the Baha'i name by break-away U.S. Baha'i groups.

UPDATE: The case is discussed at greater length at Baha'i Rants.