Chicago-based intellectual property lawyer India Rios is embroiled in a legal tussle with the retail giant 7-Eleven in what has been termed as a trademark name skirmish. In a lawsuit filed by the retail chain, Rios and her law firm, Seven Eleven Law Group LLC, stand accused of trading improperly on the goodwill and reputation of the 7-Eleven brand.
In a vehement response to the allegations, Rios stated in a filing in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois that there is “no likelihood of confusion” between her law firm’s name and the retail chain’s trademarks. As such, she has no intentions of changing the name of her firm.
According to 7-Eleven, the similar name causes confusion among patrons, posing a trademark violation while accusing Rios’s firm of unfair competition. Rios, however, denied her firm’s involvement in any such infringing activity or deriving unfair profits due to the name similarity.
This contentious matter between the retail giant and IP lawyer brings into sharp focus the intricacies of intellectual property rights, and the potential repercussions of perceived infringement. Legal professionals would do well to follow this case closely, as it brings to the forefront several convolutions surrounding trademark rights and their enforcement to date.
More objections and arguments are expected as this case continues to unfold. For more information about this case, check the full article on Bloomberg Law.