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in the
Supreme Court, asking it to hear the case. Jack Daniel's argued that while VIP's product might have First Amendment protections, they are making them at the expense of the Jack Daniel's trademark and public image. Several companies provided amicus briefs urging the Court to take the case,
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The court issued its unanimous ruling on June 8, 2023. The opinion, written by
Justice Elena Kagan, dismissed the arguments over the Rogers test, and instead found for Jack Daniel's as VIP was using the parody of Jack Daniel's trademark as its own trademark, a violation of trademark law.
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whiskey bottle and label, with the dog puns in certain places, such as replacing the "Old No. 7 Brand
Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey" portion of the label with "Old No. 2 on your Tennessee carpet". The toy also including language that it was not associated with Jack Daniel's.
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2. Whether humorous use of another's mark as one’s own on a commercial product is "noncommercial" under 15 U.S.C. § 1125(c)(3)(C), thus barring as a matter of law a claim of dilution by tarnishment under the
Trademark Dilution Revision
344:, which reversed most of Judge McNamee's ruling in a unanimous decision. The Ninth Circuit agreed that a more demanding test was required to dismiss the dog toy as an expressive work covered by the First Amendment. It found that the
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whiskey bottle and label, but with parody elements, which Jack Daniel's asserts violates their trademark. The Court unambiguously ruled in favor of Jack Daniel's as the toy company used its parody as its trademark, and leaving the
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applied to the claim of infringement, and remanded for the district court to determine whether either prong of that test was satisfied. The ninth circuit reversed the finding of dilution by tarnishment, invoking the
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ruled in favor of Jack Daniel's, finding that VIP's use of the trademarked elements were not protected by the First
Amendment, and diluted Jack Daniel's trademarks, and enjoined VIP from selling the toy.
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seeking the Court to rule in favor of protecting their trademarks from parody uses. In
November 2022, the Court agreed to hear the case.
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505:"Jack Daniel's: Supreme Court sides with Jack Daniel's in poop-themed dog toy trademark fight | CNN Politics"
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1. Whether humorous use of another's trademark as one's own on a commercial product is subject to the
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United States
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Jack Daniel's filed suit against VIP Products alleging:
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United States Court of
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523:Jack Daniel's Properties, Inc. v. VIP Products LLC
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36:Supreme Court of the United States
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