October 25, 2019 Advertising / Class Actions / Hockey / Litigation / NHL / Privacy Rights

TCPA Lawsuit Against Tampa Bay Lightning Reaches Class Settlement

A settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit against the Tampa Bay Lightning, in which a fan claimed that the NHL team violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by flooding him with unwanted text messages.

Plaintiff Brian Hanley claimed that the team violated the TCPA by using a bait-and-switch tactic. Hanley was under the impression that he had entered a ticket contest for a future Lightning game by texting a short code number. Instead, he had inadvertently signed up for an advertising …

April 11, 2019 Copyright / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / Litigation

MillersCoors Requests Injunction, Removal of Bud Light “Corn Syrup” Ads

On March 28, 2019, MillerCoors submitted a brief in support of its motion for a preliminary injunction against Anheuser-Busch, requesting Anheuser-Busch be stopped from airing Bud Light commercials that focus on the inclusion of corn syrup in Miller Lite and Coors Light.

Per the request, MillerCoors implores that these ads have caused irreparable harm to the company’s image – an image that has taken “generations” to build. Per the lawsuit, while although MillerCoors admits the use of corn syrup in its products, an important caveat …

March 17, 2014 Advertising / Litigation / TV

Judge Judy Suing to Protect Her “Prestigious Persona”

Judith Sheindlin – better known as “Judge Judy” – may soon be standing on the other side of the bench. On March 12, Sheindlin filed her first lawsuit through which she is accusing fellow Connecticut attorney John Haymond of using her image in advertisements without permission.

According to Sheindlin, Haymond and his firm have been airing advertisements in Connecticut and Massachusetts during broadcasts of her show. Despite a warning to stop in March 2013, the firm continued to run the ads. The unauthorized ads allegedly …

July 1, 2013 Advertising

TaylorMade Pulls Rocketballz Advertising Claim

On June 12, 2013, The National Advertising Division (NAD) heard Callaway Golf Company’s challenge regarding a claim that “the average golfer picked up about 17 yards” with TaylorMade Golf Company’s “Rocketballz” 3-Wood. The NAD provides alternative dispute resolution for companies that challenge factual claims made in national advertisements.

The NAD examined whether TaylorMade implied that Rocketballz would actually increase the average golfers distance by 17 yards despite their experience or skill. TaylorMade said the claim was a “single misworded reference” to its Rocketballz fairway woods. …