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171819202122232425262728RobertN.Phillips(SBN120970)REEDSMITH
LLP
101SecondStreet,Suite1800SanFrancisco,CA94105-3659Telephone:+14155438700Facsimile:+14153918269Email:robphillips@reedsmith.comDavidH.Bernstein
(AdmissionProHacViceToBeFiled)
JyotinHamid
(AdmissionProHacViceToBeFiled)
DEBEVOISE
&
PLIMPTONLLP919ThirdAvenueNewYork,NewYork10022Telephone:+12129096696Facsimile:+12125217696Email:dhbernstein@debevoise.comEmail:jhamid@debevoise.comAttorneysforPlaintiffsMARKANTHONYINTERNATIONAL,SRLandAMERICANVINTAGEBEVERAGE,INC.UNITEDSTATESDISTRICTCOURTNORTHERNDISTRICTOFCALIFORNIAMARKANTHONYINTERNATIONAL,
tIL,
Barbadoscorporation,andAMERICAN
\J
VINTAGEBEVERAGE,INC.,aDelaware-corporation,Plaintiffs,vs.JACKDANIEL'SPROPERTIES,INC.,aDelawarecorporation,Defendant.
N12
2105
COMPLAINTFORDECLARATORYJUDGMENT
PlaintiffsMarkAnthonyInternational,SRLandAmericanVintageBeverage,Inc.(collectively,"MarkAnthony"),bytheirattorneys,Debevoise&PlimptonLLPandReedSmithLLP,fortheircomplaintagainstJackDaniel'sProperties,Inc.("JDPI"),allegeuponpersonalknowledgewithrespecttothemselvesandtheirownacts,anduponinformationandbeliefastoallothermatters,asfollows:
-1-
us
ACTIVE-109278078.1
COMPLAINTFORDECLARATORYJUDGMENT
 
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171819202122232425262728
PreliminaryStatement
1.
Thisisadeclaratoryjudgmentaction.MarkAnthonyseeksadeclarationthatithastherighttomanufacture,distribute,marketandsellintheUnitedStatesamargarita-flavoredmaltbeverageunderthetrademarkCAYMANJACK,andtoregistertheCAYMANJACKtrademarkwiththeUnitedStatesPatentandTrademarkOffice.TheCAYMANJACKmarkisunlikelytocauseconfusioninanywaywithJDPI'sJACKDANIEL'Smarks.ButJDPIhasnonethelessopposedMarkAnthony'sapplicationtoregistertheCAYMANJACKtrademarkandhasthreatenedtofilealawsuitagainstMarkAnthonytopreventtheuseoftheCAYMANJACKmarkincommerce,thuscreatingsignificantrisksforMarkAnthony'simminentnationallaunchoftheCAYMANJACKproduct.2.CAYMANJACKproductshavebeenavailableonatest-marketbasissinceDecember2010,andarenowbeingsoldinfifteenstates.Duringthistest-marketperiod,theCAYMANJACKproducthasenjoyedstrongsalesandhaswontheloyaltyofconsumers.Significantly,throughoutthesefifteenmonths,MarkAnthonyhasnotlearnedofasingleincidentofconfusionbetweenitsCAYMANJACKproductsandJDPI'sJACKDANIEL'Sproducts.Nevertheless,anddespitetheabsenceofanyevidenceofactualconfusion,JDPIhasobjectedtoMarkAnthony'sregistrationanduseoftheCAYMANJACKtrademark,presumablyonthebasisthatJDPIthinksithassoleownershipoftheword"JACK"inconnectionwiththesaleofanyalcoholicbeverage.Thatpropositionisdemonstrablyuntrue,though,becauseJDPIhastolerated,andevenexpresslyconsentedto,numerousotheralcoholicproductssoldusingtheword"JACK"intheirnames.3.Furthermore,giventhecompletelydifferenttradedressoftheproducts(asshownbelow),andotherfactors,confusionishighlyunlikely.TheJACKDANIEL'Sbeveragesaresoldin25ounce(750ml)orlargerbottlesthataremorethantwicethesizeofthe11.5ouncebottlesusedfortheCAYMANJACKproduct.Thebottleshapesarevastlydifferent(atall,squarebottleversusashort,roundstubbybottle);thecolorschemesarevastlydifferent(blackandwhiteversusblueandgreen);thefontsarevastlydifferent(oldfashionedversuscontemporary);andthelabeldesignsarevastlydifferent.Theproductsthemselvesalsoarevastlydifferent:oneisabrown-coloredwhiskey(spirit)andtheotherisawhite-coloredmaltbeverage(beer).
-2-
US_ACTIVE-l0927B078.1
COMPLAINTFORDECLARATORYJUDGMENT
 
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1718192021222324252627284.ThemarketingandpromotionstrategyfortheCAYMANJACKbrandfurtherconfirmsthatconfusionisunlikely.MarkAnthonyistargetingthehigh-endready-to-drinkmarketwithitsCAYMANJACKproduct,notthespiritsmarket.MarkAnthony'smarketingforitsCAYMANJACKbeverageshighlightstheproduct'sconnectiontotheCaribbean,athemethatisinfusedthroughoutallpromotionalmaterialsandthatiscompletelydistinctfromJDPI'smarketingstrategy,whichemphasizesthatJACKDANIEL'Swhiskeyisanauthentic,oldfashionedwhiskeymadeinLynchburg,Tennessee.5.MarkAnthony'ssalesandconsumerresponseinthetestmarketshavebeenoverwhelminglypositive.Therefore,thenaturalnextstepistolaunchCAYMANJACKproductsnationwide.MarkAnthonydevelopedabusinessplanthatwillbringCAYMANJACKproductsto75percentofthenationalmarketbyJune.However,MarkAnthony'sabilitytosustainthelaunchoftheCAYMANJACKbrand,andpersuaderetailersnationallytodevoteshelf-spacetothisnewproduct,isthreatenedbythespecterandthreatoflitigationbyJDPI.Forthatreason,MarkAnthonyseeksadeclarationfromthisCourtgrantingittherighttoregistertheCAYMANJACKtrademarkandsellproductsunderthatmark.
11.5ouncebeerbottle
-3-
COMPLAINTFORDECLARAT6i.VJUDGMENT
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