Knowles-Carter v. Feyoncé, Inc.
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
347 F. Supp. 3d 217 (2018)
- Written by Jenny Perry, JD
Facts
BGK Trademark Holdings, LLC (BGK) owned the federally registered trademark Beyoncé for use on clothing. BGK and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (collectively, Beyoncé) (plaintiffs) brought a trademark-infringement claim against Feyoncé, Inc. (defendant), which sold clothing bearing the mark Feyoncé. The two marks were very similar in text, font, and pronunciation. In fact, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office refused registration of the Feyoncé mark because it was determined to be confusingly similar to the Beyoncé mark. The Feyoncé mark was also a play on words in that it sounded like fiancé, and many purchasers of Feyoncé products were engaged to be married. Beyoncé moved for summary judgment on the trademark-infringement claim.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Nathan, J.)
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