In a split decision on Tuesday, the Ninth Circuit Court revived a trademark lawsuit by plant-based burger company Impossible Foods Inc. against Illinois-based marketing consulting firm Impossible X LLC. The decision overturned a lower court’s ruling which stated that the case couldn’t be heard in California.
The complex litigation swung back into life when the Ninth Circuit decided to reverse the previous court’s decision, allowing the California-based Impossible Foods to bring their lawsuit back to their home state. The contentious trademark dispute revolves around the usage of ‘Impossible’ in the respective companies’ names.
The matter came to the Ninth Circuit’s attention when the plant-based food company contested the lower court’s jurisdiction ruling. They believed the court erred by concluding that Impossible Foods’ business didn’t extend to Illinois, hence the case couldn’t be heard in California.
The unique circumstances of this high-stakes lawsuit have attracted significant attention within legal circles. Going forward, this decision by the Ninth Circuit offers clarification on the jurisdictional issues related to trademark disputes.
For more details on the Ninth Circuit’s ruling and the ongoing legal battle, I recommend examining the report put out by Law360. Their comprehensive coverage can be found here.