In a recent ruling, the Sixth Circuit Court upheld the majority of a near $450,000 jury award won by a former Major League Baseball pitcher in the midst of a trademark infringement case. However, the court has stated that $67,649 of the punitive damages awarded will have to be reconsidered in accordance with the correct legal standard.
This jury decision and the subsequent ruling of the Sixth Circuit demonstrates the committed lengths players, or indeed any public figure, must take in order to protect their trademark rights in the current legal landscape.
In cases of trademark infringement, juries must make informed decisions based not only on the infringement itself, but also on the punitive damages to be levied against the infringing party. In this case, it appears there is a need for reconsideration of the latter, underlining the complex nature of these cases and the importance of following the correct legal standard.
For more specific details regarding this ruling, you can refer to the original article from Law360.