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HAR
RMEET K. DHILLON
D
(S
SBN: 207873)
harm
meet@dhillon
nlaw.com
KRIS
STA L. BAU
UGHMAN (S
SBN: 26460
00)
kbaug
ghman@dhiillonlaw.com
m
DHIL
LLON LAW
W GROUP IN
NC.
177 Post
P Street, Suite
S
700
San Francisco,
F
California 941
108
Telep
phone: (415)) 433-1700
Facsiimile: (415) 520-6593
Attorrneys for Plaaintiff,
Califfornia Repub
blican Party
8
9
IN THE UNIT
TED STATE
ES DISTRIC
CT COURT
T
10
T
EAST
TERN DIST
TRICT OF C
CALIFORN
NIA
FOR THE
11
12
CALIIFORNIA REPUBLICA
R
AN PARTY,
C
Case Numbeer:
Plaintiff,
P
C
COMPLAIN
NT
v.
v
11. TRADEM
MARK INF
FRINGEME
ENT
(UNDER
R 15 U.S.C.A
A. 1114)
22. TRADEM
MARK INF
FRINGEME
ENT
DILUTIO
ON BY BLU
URRING (U
UNDER
15 U.S.C
C.A. 1125(c))
33. TRADEM
MARK INF
FRINGEME
ENT
DILUTIO
ON BY TARNISHMENT
(UNDER
R 15 U.S.C.A
A. 1125(c))(1))
44. TRADEM
MARK INF
FRINGEME
ENT
UNFAIR
R COMPET
TITION (UN
NDER
15 U.S.C
C.A. 1125(a))
13
14
15
16
ASIA
AN AMERIC
CAN SMAL
LL BUSINES
SS
POLIITICAL ACTION COM
MMITTEE,
17
Defendant.
D
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
Complaint
Case No
o.
Plaintiff California
C
Reepublican Paarty (CRP ), by and thrrough its couunsel, Dhilloon Law
Grou
up, Inc., alleg
ges as and fo
or its complaaint against tthe Asian Am
merican Smaall Business Political
Actio
on Committeee (AASB-P
PAC), as fo
ollows:
1.
Th
his is an action for tradem
mark infringgement undeer the Lanham
m Act, 15 U
U.S.C. 1114
4
et seq
q. This action
n arises from
m the fact thaat the Asian American S
Small Busineess Political Action
Comm
mittee a California pollitical action
n committee known in Saacramento foor exclusivelly supporting
and promoting
p
Democratic leegislative can
ndidates sincce it was fouunded in 20005 and run by former
Demo
ocratic legislative stafferrs sent two
o deceptive m
mailers to Reepublican vooters in Senaate District 7
makin
ng unauthorrized use of a famous trademark regiistered to thee California Republican Party. The
10
purpo
ose of these mailers is to
o unfairly inffluence Repuublican voters to cast vootes for a form
mer
11
12
publiished. The ap
pparent inten
nded effect of
o the mailerrs is to unlaw
wfully supprress and diveert the votes of
13
Repu
ublican voterrs in Senate District
D
7 thrrough fraud,, intellectuall property theeft and chicaanery.
14
15
THE PAR
RTIES
2.
Pllaintiff Califo
fornia Repub
blican Party ((CRP) is tthe Californiia affiliate off the United
16
States Republican
n Party (the Republican
n Party), annd the officiaal political party organizzation for
17
Califfornia Repub
blicans. The CRP has its principal plaace of businness in Sacraamento, Califfornia.
18
3.
19
is a political
p
actio
on committeee, with its prrincipal placce of businesss in Sacram
mento, Califoornia, and an
20
21
22
4.
Th
his Court hass original jurrisdiction ovver this actioon pursuant tto 15 U.S.C. 1121, and
d
23
28 U.S.C. 133
31 and 1338,, in that this Complaint rraises federaal questions uunder the Unnited States
24
25
5.
Th
he Court hass personal jurrisdiction ovver the AASB-PAC becaause it is a reesident of orr
26
27
purpo
osefully avaiiled itself off the opportu
unity to condduct commerrcial activitiees in this foruum. The
28
claim
ms arise out of
o those com
mmercial actiivities. Moreeover, the AA
ASB-PAC expends fundds on
1
Comp
plaint
Case No
o.
camp
paigns throug
ghout Califo
ornia. This Complaint
C
allleges claims that relate tto the AASB
B-PACs
impro
oper activitiees in Califorrnia, includin
ng the illegall, fraudulentt, misleadingg and unauthhorized use of
o
the Republican
R
ellephant insig
gnia.
6.
Veenue is proper in this disstrict under 228 U.S.C. 1391(c), in tthat substanttial injury
in thiis district.
7
8
9
INTRODU
UCTION
7.
Th
his case conccerns egregio
ous, repeatedd violations of the Lanhham Act. On a candidate
10
to tak
ke place on March
M
17, 20
015, AASB--PAC intentiionally and rrepeatedly ussed a tradem
mark a
11
Repu
ublican eleph
hant insigniaa (Elephant Insignia) registered tto the CRP aas a service m
mark pursuan
nt
12
13
Comm
mittee, whicch registered
d it pursuant to the Lanhaam Act 43((a), in an illeegal and frauudulent
14
mann
ner, for the purpose
p
of misleading
m
the public as tto the origin of the maileer and the enndorsement of
o
15
the California
C
Reepublican Paarty.
16
8.
Up
pon learning
g of the first fraudulent m
mailer, whichh was receivved by Repubblican voters
17
in Senate Districtt 7, the CRP, through thee undersigneed counsel, iimmediately sent a ceasee and desist
18
notice to AASB-P
PAC, dated February 24
4, 2015. On M
March 2, 2015, AASB-P
PAC publishhed a second
19
fraud
dulent mailerr to Republiccan voters this one witth even moree uses of the Elephant Innsignia,
20
effecttively doub
bling down on its tradem
mark infringgement after receiving w
written warninng of
21
impen
nding legal action.
a
22
9.
Th
he CRP conssistently seek
ks to prevennt the unauthhorized and m
misleading uuse of its
23
registtered tradem
mark and to protect
p
its inttellectual prooperty and reeputation froom intentionnal copying
24
and in
nfringementt. The CRP files
f
this civiil action agaiinst AASB-P
PAC for vioolations of thhe United
25
States Trademark
k Act (Lanhaam Act), 15 U.S.C. 10551 et seq., seeeking damages and injuunctive relieff,
26
to pro
otect its marrks and to pro
otect the pub
blic from decception through the misuuse of its maarks.
27
28
2
Comp
plaint
Case No
o.
FACTUAL ALL
LEGATION
NS
3
4
5
10.
Th
he CRP is th
he Californiaa affiliate of tthe Republiccan Nationall Committeee (RNC),
Th
he Elephant Insignia trad
demark is coommonly useed in Republlican politicss throughoutt
the United
U
States, since it waas registered by the RNC
C with the U..S. Patent annd Trademarkk Office in
1969, Registratio
on Number 1908397.
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Registra
ation #: 19088397
16
17
18
12.
Th
he Republicaan National Committee
C
ggranted the C
CRP permission to utilizze the
19
E
Inssignia in thee CRP logo aand otherwisse to promotee Republican
n
federrally trademaarked RNC Elephant
20
candiidates, causees, and issues. Along witth the permisssion grantedd above, thee RNC granteed the CRP
21
perm
mission to deffend against any infringeement upon tthe rights affforded. The agreement bbetween the
22
23
24
13.
25
Corporations Cod
de. The tradeemark featurres a red andd blue elephaant featuringg three whitee stars on thee
26
27
appeaars to be monochrome.
28
3
Comp
plaint
Case No
o.
14.
Beelow are threee examples from the reccent electionn cycle endinng Novembeer 4, 2014, of
autho
orized, legitim
mate uses off the Elephan
nt Insignia bby the state pparty or its constituent, aauthorized
users, to commun
nicate with voters
v
about legitimate R
Republican ccandidates inn an election.
a. Leetter from staate party Ch
hairman Jim Brulte to vooters on behaalf of authoriized candidaate
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
4
Comp
plaint
Case No
o.
b. Mailer
M
from California
C
Reepublican Paarty supportiing Jack Mobbley, the parrtys candidaate
for Assembly District 21:
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
c. Au
uthorized Reepublican vo
oter guide froom the San D
Diego Counnty Republicaan Party
13
14
su
upporting thee partys end
dorsed candiddates in the county:
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
5
Comp
plaint
Case No
o.
15.
Th
he CRP activ
vely polices its trademarrks and otherr intellectuall property, aand sends
severral infringing
g parties to cease
c
and desist their missuse of the E
Elephant Insignia.
PACS WRO
ONGFUL A
ACTS
AASB-P
4
5
6
7
8
9
16.
Th
he AASB-PA
AC publisheed the first innfringing cam
mpaign mailler at issue inn this case on
n
or about February
y 23, 2015 (ssee Exhibit A).
A
17.
Th
he first maileer was receiv
ved by numeerous Repubblican voters in Senate D
District 7 on
Febru
uary 23, 2015, with otheers receiving it very shorrtly thereafteer, as is the nnorm in bulkk mail.
18.
Th
he mailer feaatured a phottograph of M
Michaela Hertle (Hertlee) and threee instances of
10
the CRPs
C
Elephaant Insignia, clearly desiigned to fooll recipients iinto believinng that the CR
RP was the
11
sourcce of the maiiler, and thatt it had endorsed Ms. Heertles candiddacy.
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19.
Ms.
M Hertle is a candidate who
w filed heer papers, waas certified bby the Secrettary of State,
but th
hen withdrew
w from the Senate
S
Distriict 7 electionn, publicly annnouncing thhe same.
20.
Ms.
M Hertle hass not been en
ndorsed by tthe Californiia Republicaan Party for tthis or any
politiical office.
21.
pon informaation and belief, Ms. Herrtle has not bbeen endorseed by any off the official
Up
Repu
ublican Centrral Committees of the co
ounties withiin Senate Diistrict 7.
22.
19
withd
drawn from the
t Senate District
D
7 race, and had e ndorsed anoother candidaate named Stteve Glazer,
20
21
23.
Th
he elephant graphic
g
used
d by the AAS
SB-PAC in tthe Hertle m
mailer is idenntical in shap
pe,
22
ortion, desig
gn and color to the well-k
known Elephhant Insigniaa consistentlly used by thhe CRP, which
propo
23
is reg
gistered pursuant to 213
300 of the Caalifornia Co rporations C
Code, tradem
marked by thee RNC, and
24
25
26
27
28
24.
Th
he AASB-PA
AC has neveer sought or oobtained a liicense or autthorization ffor the use off
the Elephant
E
Insignia (or any
y derivatives thereof).
25.
Th
he CRP first learned of the
t AASB-PACs tradem
mark infringeement on Feebruary 23,
2015, the day thee first mailer was receiveed by the pubblic.
6
Comp
plaint
Case No
o.
26.
Th
he CRP sent a cease and
d desist letterr to the AAS
SB-PAC on F
February 24,, 2015,
27.
Th
he CRP did not
n receive a response frrom the AAS
SB-PAC.
28.
Th
he AASB-PA
AC did not cease
c
its traddemark infrinngement of tthe Elephantt Insignia.
29.
Affter receiving and ignoriing the CRP s cease andd desist letterr, AASB-PA
AC published
da
secon
nd mailer on
n March 2, 20
015 to Repub
blican voterrs in Senate D
District 7 (seee Ex. C), foor the purposse
AASP
PBPAC kneew Ms. Hertlle was no lon
nger runningg, and had neever been enndorsed by thhe CRP.
30.
Th
he second fraaudulent maailer from AA
ASB-PAC fuurther compounded the ffalse
10
desig
gnation of origination by repeatedly using
u
the woords Repubblican in thee mailer. Forr example, th
he
11
12
13
14
15
31.
was not
n a candidaate for the Sttate Senate.
32.
AA
ASB-PAC published
p
theese two frauddulent, decepptive, false, and repeateddly infringin
ng
16
maileers (collectiv
vely, Hertlee Mailers) for
fo the directt purpose, annd intended eeffect, of supppressing thee
17
votess of Republiccans in Senaate District 7, cynically uurging them to vote for a candidate w
who had
18
dropp
ped out, and thereby wassting their vo
otes rather thhan voting fo
for one of thee real, remaining
19
20
FIRS
ST CAUSE OF ACTIO
ON
21
Tra
ademark Inffringement Under 15 U
U.S.C. 1114
22
23
24
33.
parag
grpahs as if set
s forth fully
y herein.
34.
Th
he Elephant Insignia trad
demark is inhherently disttinctive. Mooreover, it haas acquired
25
secon
ndary meanin
ng through its
i use, for deecades, in C
California andd national poolitical discoourse to
26
27
28
35.
Th
he distinctiveeness and seecondary meeaning of thee Elephant Innsignia tradeemark has
been enhanced an
nd extended through the extensive use of the maark by the CR
RP to designnate the
7
Comp
plaint
Case No
o.
Repu
ublican Party
ys endorsem
ment, in every
y aspect of tthe partys official comm
munications tto voters and
d
consu
umers.
36.
4
5
6
Th
he CRP has actively
a
poliiced uses andd misuses off the Elephannt Insignia, aand sends ou
ut
tradem
mark, or any
y confusingly
y similar traademark, in ccommerce.
38.
AA
ASB-PAC has
h never beeen authorize d to use the Elephant Insignia.
39.
9
10
11
AA
ASB-PAC willfully
w
used
d the Elephaant Insignia, including a mark with aan identical
12
13
District 7, with th
he full know
wledge that th
he CRP had ownership rrights to the ttrademark, aand that
14
AASB
B-PAC had no rights wh
hatsoever to use the traddemark.
15
16
17
18
19
41.
AA
ASB-PAC published
p
thee Hertle Maiilers in orderr to intentionnally benefitt from the
goodw
will and secondary mean
ning of the Elephant
E
Ins ignia, and thhereby confuuse consumeers.
42.
Th
he AASB-PA
AC willfully
y infringed thhe CRPs exxclusive right in the Elepphant Insigniia
tradem
mark, in vio
olation of 15 U.S.C. 1114.
43.
Th
he CRP prom
mptly sent a cease and deesist letter too AASB-PA
AC regardingg the
20
21
22
23
Repu
ublican voterrs in Senate District
D
7 on
n March 2, 20015, and in eensuing days.
24
44.
AA
ASB-PAC has
h used, and
d continues tto use, the C
CRPs tradem
mark, with thhe intent to
25
26
27
28
8
Comp
plaint
Case No
o.
45.
irrepaarable harm,, and will continue to sufffer irreparabble harm unless the AAS
SB-PAC is rrestrained
from continuing to
t infringe th
he CRPs traademark.
46.
Th
he CRP has no
n adequate remedy at l aw sufficiennt to compennsate it for thhe ongoing,
Insign
nia trademarrk.
7
8
9
10
11
47.
AA
ASB-PACss actions described abovee have been willful and have been uundertaken
12
know
wingly, malicciously, opprressively and
d with the sppecific intenttion of injurring and tradding unfairly
13
14
50.
CR
RP has no ad
dequate remedy at law suufficient to ccompensate for the ongooing
15
16
Insign
nia trademarrk and passin
ng off the Hertle mailerss as originatiing from thee CRP.
17
18
51.
Un
nless it is enj
njoined and restrained
r
froom continuinng the wronggful acts desscribed abov
ve,
AASB
B-PAC will continue theese actions that
t harm thee CRP and innjure and deeceive the puublic.
19
SECO
OND CAUSE
E OF ACTIION
20
21
22
23
52.
Th
he CRP repeeats and inco
orporates by reference eaach allegatioon in the precceding
parag
graphs as if set
s forth fully
y herein.
53.
Th
he AASB-PA
AC, by reaso
on of dilutionn by blurringg, willfully iintended to ttrade on the
24
recog
gnition of thee famous Eleephant Insignia mark forr ends diameetrically oppposed to the aauthorized,
25
26
54.
Th
he AASB-PA
AC is in viollation of the federal diluution statute, Lanham Acct, 15 U.S.C.
27
1125(c), 1127, fo
or willfully trrading upon the widesprread recognittion of the C
CRPs tradem
mark, the
28
Eleph
hant Insigniaa.
9
Comp
plaint
Case No
o.
55.
Th
he Elephant Insignia is registered to the CRP as a service maark. The marrk has becom
me
the ub
biquitous deesignation off the Republiican Party inn California.
56.
Th
he mark is faamous, as it is widely reccognized byy the general consuming public of thee
Th
he Elephant Insignia hass recognized advertising and publicaations as well as a strong
desig
gnates the Reepublican Paarty and no
o other politiical entity.
8
9
10
11
12
13
58.
Th
he AASB-PA
AC has used
d the CRPs ttrademark inn interstate ccommerce thhrough the
produ
uction and distribution of
o the Hertle Mailers to thhe public. This use begaan decades aafter the CRP
Ps
use became
b
famo
ous.
59.
Th
he AASB-PA
ACs use cau
uses dilutionn by lesseninng the capaciity of the CR
RPs mark to
o
Th
he CRP, as registrant
r
of a famous maark that is diistinctive, innherently or tthrough
14
acquiired distinctiiveness, is en
ntitled to an injunction aagainst the A
AASB-PAC, which, at a time decades
15
16
61.
Th
he above acttions are likeely to cause ddilution by bblurring of thhe famous m
mark,
17
a
or likeely confusioon, of compeetition, or of actual
regarrdless of the presence or absence of actual
18
econo
omic injury.
19
62.
20
21
Un
nless enjoineed and restraained from ccontinuing thhe wrongful acts described above, th
he
AASB
B-PAC will continue theese practicess that harm tthe CRP andd injure and ddeceive the ppublic.
63.
Th
he AASB-PA
AC is in viollation of the federal diluution statute bbecause the CRP can
22
23
24
25
64.
he AASB-PA
AC has used
d the CRPs ttrademark inn interstate ccommerce thhrough the
Th
26
65.
Th
he AASB-PA
AC began usse of the traddemark afterr the CRPs uuse became famous.
27
66.
Th
he AASB-PA
ACs use cau
uses dilutionn by lesseninng the capaciity of the CR
RPs mark to
o
28
10
Comp
plaint
Case No
o.
67.
Th
he CRP has no
n adequate remedy at l aw sufficiennt to compennsate for the ongoing,
PAC is perm
mitted to conttinue dilutingg the Elephaant Insignia
irrepaarable harm it will sufferr if AASB-P
tradem
mark, passin
ng off the Heertle Mailerss and possiblly other mailers or materrials in the ffuture as
origin
nating from the CRP, an
nd distributin
ng a publicattion endorsinng a candidaate as the Republican
8
9
69.
nless it is enj
njoined and restrained
r
froom continuinng the wronggful acts desscribed abov
ve,
Un
AASB
B-PAC will continue theese actions that
t harm thee CRP and innjure and deeceive the puublic.
10
THIR
RD CAUSE OF ACTIO
ON
11
b Tarnishm
ment Tradeemark Infriingement U
Under 15 U.S
S.C.A. 11225(c)(1)
Dilution by
12
70.
13
14
15
16
17
18
Th
he CRP repeeats and inco
orporates by reference eaach allegatioon in the precceding
parag
graphs as if set
s forth fully
y herein.
71.
Th
he AASB-PA
AC is known
n throughoutt California ppolitical circcles as a poliitical action
comm
mittee that ex
xclusively su
upports Dem
mocrats for leegislative offfice.
72.
Ev
very single California
C
leg
gislator featuured on the A
AASB-PAC
C website
www
w.aasbpac.org
g is a Dem
mocrat.
73.
Th
he AASB-PA
ACs theft an
nd misapproopriation of tthe Elephantt Insignia tarrnishes and
19
cheap
pens the pureely Republiccan image off the insigniaa, and weakeens the publiics identificcation of the
20
Eleph
hant Insigniaa with the CR
RP.
21
74.
Th
he AASB-PA
ACs repeateed misuse off the Elephannt Insignia w
wrongfully aassociates thee
22
insign
nia with a Democrat-pro
D
omoting PAC
C, thereby taarnishing its exclusively Republican connotation
n
23
for ov
ver forty-fou
ur years.
24
25
26
75.
Th
he AASB-PA
AC, by reaso
on of dilutionn by tarnishm
ment, willfuully intendedd to harm, an
nd
AA
ASB-PACss infringing use
u of the CR
RPs tradem
mark presentss a danger thhat the publicc
27
will misleadingly
m
y associate th
he AASB-PA
AC with the Republican Party, thus tarnishing thhe publics
28
identification of the
t mark.
11
Comp
plaint
Case No
o.
77.
has su
uffered dam
mages in an am
mount to be determined at trial.
78.
Th
he CRP has no
n adequate remedy at l aw sufficiennt to compennsate for the ongoing
tradem
mark, passin
ng off the Heertle Mailerss as originatiing from thee CRP, and ddistributing a publication
n
contin
nue these prractices that harm
h
the CR
RP, tarnish thhe Elephant Insignia, annd injure andd deceive the
publiic.
10
FOUR
RTH CAUSE
E OF ACTIION
11
mark Infrin
ngement Un
nder 15 U.S..C.A. 11255(a)
Unfaiir Competition Tradem
12
13
14
79.
Th
he CRP repeeats and inco
orporates by reference eaach allegatioon in the precceding
parag
graphs as if set
s forth fully
y herein.
80.
15
would technically
y qualify as trademark
t
in
nfringement,, but also unnfair competiitive practicees involving
16
17
18
19
20
21
81.
Th
he AASB-PA
AC made maaterially falsse and misleaading statem
ments on it thhe Hertle
Th
he Hertle Maailers traveleed in and havve had an efffect on interrstate commeerce, and thee
Th
he CRP has been
b
damaged by the AA
ASB-PACss use of the E
Elephant Insignia, as it has
h
22
n and deceiveed the publicc as to its truue origin, whhich is not thhe CRP, or aany official
causeed confusion
23
Repu
ublican organ
nization in th
he U.S.
24
25
26
27
84.
has su
uffered mon
netary damag
ges in an amount to be d etermined att trial.
85.
Th
he CRP has no
n adequate remedy at l aw sufficiennt to compennsate for the ongoing,
28
12
Comp
plaint
Case No
o.
tradem
mark, passin
ng off the Heertle Mailerss as originatiing from thee CRP, and ddistributing a publication
n
3
4
86.
AASB
B-PAC will continue theese practicess that harm tthe CRP andd injure and ddeceive the ppublic.
5
6
7
Un
nless enjoineed and restraained from ccontinuing thhe wrongful acts described above,
PR
RAYER FO R RELIEF
WHEREF
FORE, the CRP
C prays fo
or judgment against AAS
SB-PAC as ffollows:
1. For an injjunction prelliminarily an
nd permanenntly enjoininng the AASB
B-PAC and itts agents,
officers, employees,
e
representativ
r
ves, successoors, assigns, partners, atttorneys and aall other
10
a.
Imitating, copying,
c
or making
m
unauuthorized usee of the tradeemarked Eleephant
11
Insignia reg
gistered with
h the U.S. PT
TO by the RN
RNC, and reggistered to thhe CRP undeer
12
California law,
l
and dep
picted hereinn and on the attached Exhhibit A and C
C;
13
b.
14
displaying or otherwisee using any ttrademark thhat imitates oor is confusinngly similar
15
16
deception, or
o public miisunderstandding as to thee origin of anny mailers/ppublications by
b
17
18
19
20
A
be required to file with the Court annd serve on tthe CRP witthin thirty (30)
3. That the AASB-PAC
21
22
23
24
destructio
on all mailerss, labels, sig
gns, prints, paackages, advvertising, proomotional m
material or th
he
25
26
paraphern
nalia associaated with mak
king such innfringing maaterials;
27
28
5. That this Court declarre this to be an exceptionnal case andd award the C
CRP its full ccosts and
nt to 15 U.S.C. 1117;
reasonablle attorneys fees pursuan
13
Comp
plaint
Case No
o.
from inco
orrectly assum
ming that the Hertle Maailers distribuuted, manufaactured, distrributed,
on, or authoriization in an
ny way by thhe CRP; and
connectio
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
D
DHILLON L
LAW GROU
UP INC.
By:
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
14
Comp
plaint
Case No
o.