A Sacramento personal injury law firm has accused a rival firm of allegedly poaching its trademark, Justice4You.
The lawsuit, filed by the law firm of Clayeo C. Arnold against Beverly Hills law firm Jacoby & Meyers PC. involves the use of a "service mark", a trademark for a service rather than a product.
The lawsuit claims Jacoby & Meyers infringed Arnold's trademark by allegedly marketing its services under the slogan JUSTICE FOR YOU.
"Plaintiff has used the Service Mark in commerce throughout the United States and in Northern California continuously since at least as early as Jan. 1, 2007 in connection with the offering for sale, sale, marketing, advertising, and promotion of legal services," says the lawsuit. " As a result of its widespread, continuous, and exclusive use of the Service Mark to identify its legal services and Plaintiff as their source, Plaintiff owns valid and subsisting federal statutory and common law rights to the Service Mark."
In the lawsuit, Clayeo C. Arnold claims it has "expended substantial time, money, and resources marketing, advertising, and promoting the legal services sold under the Service Mark," generating income of more than $110 million from 2007-2022.
Arnold seeks a court order directing Jacoby & Meyers to "immediately cease all display, distribution, marketing, advertising, promotion, sale, offer for sale, and/or use of any and all packaging, labels, catalogs, shopping bags, containers, advertisements, signs, displays, and other materials that feature or bear
any designation or mark incorporating the mark JUSTICE FOR YOU."
The lawsuit also seeks unspecified actual and punitive financial damages.
The plaintiff is represented by attorney Craig Simmermon, of Roseville.
Clayeo C. Arnold v. Jaoby & Meyers P.C., U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, 2:23-cv-02760