by Jeff Pietsch

Earlier this month, the Tenth Circuit court upheld a preliminary injunction granted in favor of a manufacturer of electronics equipment against a reseller of its goods in a trademark infringement action. (Beltronics v. Midwest Inventory Distribution (10th Cir. April 9, 2009)). The reseller argued that it was able to resell the manufacturer’s goods online based on the first sale doctrine. The court, however, disagreed with this assessment and ruled that the resellers violated the manufacturer’s trademark rights because Midwest’s actions caused consumer confusion.

Continue Reading When Product Resales Constitute Trademark Infringement