Akerman has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against a Maryland nonprofit that has taken a role in litigation over the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse.
The National Court Appointed Special Advocate and Guardian Ad Litem Association, also known by the acronym CASA, accuses CASA Inc. of unauthorized use of the CASA trademark, unfair competition and false designation of origin.
The complaint, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, was surfaced by Law.com Radar.
“As a result of Defendant CASA’s actions, Plaintiff CASA has suffered, and will continue to suffer, monetary loss and irreparable injury to its business, reputation, and goodwill, entitling Plaintiff CASA to damages as well as injunctive relief,” Akerman partner Bryan G. Scott alleged in the complaint. “Defendant CASA knew of Plaintiff CASA, its trademark, and its scope of services when Defendant CASA adopted an identical mark for use in connection with similar services.”
Akerman’s client is a public benefit corporation with principal offices in Seattle. The defendant named in the complaint is an advocacy organization representing some of the families impacted by the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
The Maryland-based CASA Inc. filed claims in the massive Key Bridge litigation, accusing Singapore-based shipping companies of negligently causing the March 26 bridge collapse that killed six highway maintenance workers in Baltimore.
“The public, the press, policymakers, funders, and others confuse Defendant CASA with Plaintiff CASA and its state and local chapters because Defendant CASA uses the trademark CASA, which is identical to Plaintiff CASA’s prior, registered CASA trademark,” Akerman alleged in the complaint. “Defendant CASA was given numerous notices of infringement and actual confusion by Plaintiff CASA.”
Akerman seeks a permanent injunction and trebled or triple damages on behalf of its client that provides child advocacy services nationwide under the CASA federally registered trademark.
The defendant CASA Inc. did not respond to requests for comment on this article.
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