In a fresh development in the legal industry, a Canadian firm engaging in the provision of consultancy services to law schools, law firms, and legal departments has instituted a lawsuit against its U.S. counterpart. The core issue in the suit: an alleged act of trademark rights violation.
The complaint, filed by De Novo Inc., targets Jonathan A. Beitner’s business – De Novo Professional Development. De Novo Inc. maintains that the promotional materials of Beitner’s establishment infringe upon the ‘DE NOVO’ trademark right, which it holds. The case has been launched in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
As underlined by the claimant, the ‘DE NOVO’ trademark was registered in the U.S. in 2015. Significantly, the ‘DE NOVO’ mark has been in usage continuously since then, as noted by De Novo Inc. in its complaint. The businesses of both De Novo Inc. and De Novo Professional Development offer substantially similar services, leading to the current dispute.
The lawsuit is a landmark case that will shed new light on the enforcement of trademark rights in the legal services industry. It’s worth noting that the legal sector has seen an upswing in such issues recently, highlighting the importance of securing and defending intellectual property rights.
For more in-depth coverage of this case, please refer to the court docket at the Northern District of Illinois (No. 1:24-cv-04281)
For a detailed overview of the incident, visit Bloomberg Law.