Filed: Nov. 29, 2010
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: NOT PRECEDENTIAL UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT _ No. 09-3241 _ PRIMEPOINT, L.L.C. v. PRIMEPAY, INC., Appellant _ On Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (Civ. No. 1-06-cv-01551) District Judge: Hon. Renee M. Bumb Argued: September 23, 2010 Before: McKEE, Chief Judge, AMBRO and CHAGARES, Circuit Judges (Opinion filed: November 29, 2010) Philip S. Burnham, II, Esq. Burnham Law Group Plaza 1000 at Main Street Suite 202 Voorhees, NJ 08043
Summary: NOT PRECEDENTIAL UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT _ No. 09-3241 _ PRIMEPOINT, L.L.C. v. PRIMEPAY, INC., Appellant _ On Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (Civ. No. 1-06-cv-01551) District Judge: Hon. Renee M. Bumb Argued: September 23, 2010 Before: McKEE, Chief Judge, AMBRO and CHAGARES, Circuit Judges (Opinion filed: November 29, 2010) Philip S. Burnham, II, Esq. Burnham Law Group Plaza 1000 at Main Street Suite 202 Voorhees, NJ 08043 ..
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NOT PRECEDENTIAL
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT
______________
No. 09-3241
_____________
PRIMEPOINT, L.L.C.
v.
PRIMEPAY, INC.,
Appellant
_____________
On Appeal from the United States District Court
for the District of New Jersey
(Civ. No. 1-06-cv-01551)
District Judge: Hon. Renee M. Bumb
Argued: September 23, 2010
Before: McKEE, Chief Judge, AMBRO and CHAGARES, Circuit Judges
(Opinion filed: November 29, 2010)
Philip S. Burnham, II, Esq.
Burnham Law Group
Plaza 1000 at Main Street
Suite 202
Voorhees, NJ 08043
Douglas V. Rigler, Esq. (Argued)
Young & Thompson
209 Madison Street
Suite 500
Alexandria, VA 22314
Counsel for Appellant
Abbe Fletman, Esq. (Argued)
Flaster Greenberg
1600 John F. Kennedy Boulevard
2nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Adam E. Gersh, Esq.
Darren H. Goldstein, Esq.
Flaster Greenberg
1810 Chapel Avenue West
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
Counsel for Appellee
__________
OPINION
_________
McKEE, Chief Judge.
PrimePay, Inc. appeals the district court’s final judgment that Primepoint, L.L.C.
did not infringe upon PrimePay’s trademarks. For the reasons set forth below, we will
affirm.
Because we write primarily for the parties, we need not repeat the facts and
procedural history of this case. Moreover, the district court has ably summarized that
background and explained the legal issues in this case. See Primepoint, L.L.C. v.
Primepay, Inc.,
2009 WL 1884369 (D.N.J. June 30, 2009); Primepoint, L.L.C. v.
Primepay, Inc.,
545 F. Supp. 2d. 426 (D.N.J. 2008). On appeal, PrimePay argues that the
district court; (1) legally erred when it failed to enjoin Primepoint’s use of the PrimeTax
mark, and (2) legally and factually erred when it determined that there was no likelihood
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of confusion between the marks of PrimePay and Primepoint, and therefore Primepoint
did not infringe PrimePay’s mark.
PrimePay argues that the district court erred in failing to enjoin Primepoint’s use
of the mark “PrimeTax.” However, there is no evidence on this record that Primepoint
continued to use that mark after it agreed to cease all use. It agreed to cease the use upon
being notified that its use may infringe PrimePay’s trademark. Although PrimePay
argues that it is nevertheless entitled to the requested injunction, it is clear that the district
court did not err in refusing to enjoin something that was no longer occurring, absent
evidence of the likelihood that an infringing use would occur again in the future.
While “the court’s power to grant injunctive relief survives discontinuance of the
illegal conduct. the purpose of an injunction is to prevent future violations.” United
States v. W.T. Grant Co.,
345 U.S. 629, 633 (1953). Where the illegal conduct has
ceased, the party seeking the injunction bears the burden of proving “that there exists
some cognizable danger of recurrent violation, something more than the mere possibility
which serves to keep the case alive.”
Id.
We also reject PrimePay’s claim that the district court erred when it determined
that PrimePay’s proof did not establish a sufficient likelihood of confusion between the
marks of PrimePay and Primepoint to get relief. Judge Bumb issued a detailed and
thoughtful opinion that carefully and clearly explained her reasons for finding that
PrimePay had not established a likelihood of confusion, see Primepoint, L.L.C. v.
Primepay, Inc.,
2009 WL 1884369 (D.N.J. June 30, 2009), and we will affirm
substantially for the reasons set forth by Judge Bumb.
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