Inventel Prods. v. Li - Complaint
Inventel Prods. v. Li - Complaint
Inventel Prods. v. Li - Complaint
Plaintiff,
v. No.
Jimmy Li, Lin Amy, GoDaddy.com LLC, GoDaddy Inc., Shopify (USA) Inc., Shopify Inc.,
Google LLC, Google.com LLC, Wu Jinzhao, John/Jane Doe, ABC Corp. (“Defendants”),
alleges as follows:
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Defendants passing off their product as an InvenTel product using InvenTel’s trademarks and
PARTIES
1. Plaintiff InvenTel is a New Jersey limited liability company, with its principal
place of business at 200 Forge Way, Unit 1, Rockaway, New Jersey 07866.
and/or with a place of business at 1514 Woodsdale Road, Wilmington, DE 19809 who regularly
transacts business throughout the United States, including the State of New Jersey.
3. Upon information and belief, Defendant Lin Amy is a natural person residing
and/or with a place of business at 141554 Woodsdale Road, Wilmington, DE 19809 who
regularly transacts business throughout the United States, including the State of New Jersey.
company existing under the laws of the State of Delaware with a principal place of business at
14455 N. Hayden Rd., Ste. 226, Scottsdale, AZ 85260, which regularly transacts business
under the laws of the State of Delaware with a principal place of business at 14455 N. Hayden
Rd., Ste. 226, Scottsdale, AZ 85260, which regularly transacts business throughout the United
existing under the laws of the State of Delaware with a principal place of business 33 New
Montgomery St. Ste 750 San Francisco, CA, 94105, which regularly transacts business
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7. Upon information and belief, Defendant Shopify Inc. is a Canadian entity with a
principal place of business at 150 Elgin Street, 8th Floor Ottawa, ON, Canada K2P 1L4 which
regularly transacts business throughout the United States, including the State of New Jersey.
with a principal place of business 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, California
94043 which regularly transacts business throughout the United States, including the State of
New Jersey..
Corporation with a principal place of business 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View,
California 94043 which regularly transacts business throughout the United States, including the
10. Upon information and belief, Defendant Wu Jinzhao is a natural person or other
Legal entity residing and/or with a place of business at Baicheng Village No. 145, Chengxianqu
Pitianshi Fujian, ChengXianQu Putianshi FUJIAN 351100 in China who regularly transacts
business throughout the United States, including the State of New Jersey.
11. Upon information and belief Defendant John/Jane Doe is an unknown natural
person who resides in the State of New Jersey and/or regularly transacts business throughout the
12. Upon information and belief Defendant ABC Corp is an unknown legal entity
existing under the laws of the State of New Jersey and/or regularly transacting business
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13. This action arises under the Trademark and Unfair Competition Laws of the
United States Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a), the Copyright Laws of the
United States, Section 501 of the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 501, the Patent Laws of the
United States under Title 35 of the US Code, the statutory and common law of the State of New
Jersey, N.J.S.A. §56:3-13.16, and the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, N.J.S.A. §56:8-2, et seq.
14. Jurisdiction of this Court is founded upon 15 U.S.C. § 1121, 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331,
1332(a)(2), 1338(a) and (b), and the supplemental jurisdiction of this Court under 28 U.S.C. §
1367.
15. This Court has personal jurisdiction over Defendants because, on information and
belief, Defendants have committed acts of trademark infringement, trade dress infringement,
copyright infringement, patent infringement, and unfair competition and caused injury within
this Judicial District. Upon information and belief, Defendants have purposefully engaged in
activities giving rise to the claims asserted in this action, and have purposely availed itself of the
privilege of conducting commercial activities in this Judicial District which give rise to the
claims asserted herein. Upon information and belief, Defendants also have delivered goods sold
under infringing marks into the stream of commerce with the expectation that those goods will
be purchased and used by consumers in this Judicial District. Upon information and belief,
Defendant have offered for sale and/or sold goods under the infringing marks throughout the
16. Venue is proper within this Judicial District under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1391(b) and
(c)(3).
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FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS
17. Plaintiff is engaged in the business of marketing and selling a wide variety of
consumer products in this Judicial District and elsewhere through direct response advertising,
catalogue, mail order, and Internet sales, and through national retail stores.
18. Plaintiff markets and sells the HD MIRROR CAM® (“HD MIRROR CAM”)
19. HD MIRROR CAM is a personal security camera designed for automobiles used
by customers worldwide.
20. Plaintiff is the owner of all right, title and interest in United States Trademark
cameras” in International Class 9 (the “Trademark”). Registration issued on March 20, 2008.
21. Plaintiff has invested substantial amounts of money in advertising the product
nationally including the creation and publication of a television commercial, infomercial, and
instructional video for the HD Mirror CAM product (collectively the “HD MIRROR CAM
Commercial”)
fixed in a tangible medium of expression and is copyrightable subject matter under the Copyright
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Commercial and are valid and subsisting. Plaintiff is the owner of all right, title and interest in
24. Further the HD MIRROR CAM Commercial contains and incorporates images of
the Trademark.
25. Plaintiff has invested substantial amounts of money in advertising the product
nationally including the creation and publication of literature including but not limited to
instruction manuals, packaging designs for the HD Mirror Cam product (collectively the “HD
26. The HD MIRROR CAM Literature is a wholly original work of authorship fixed
in a tangible medium of expression and is copyrightable subject matter under the Copyright Law
VAu001245670, and VAu001249643 duly issued covering the HD MIRROR CAM Literature
and are valid and subsisting. Plaintiff is the owner of all right, title and interest in the HD
28. Further the HD MIRROR CAM Literature contains and incorporates images of
the Trademark.
MIRROR CAM product and is the owner/applicant of the following United States Patents and
Patent Applications covering same: Patent No. D834,476 Issued Nov. 27, 2018, Patent
Application Number 29/570,795, filed July 12, 2016; Patent Application Number 15/253,127,
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30. Plaintiff is also the owner of the following relevant foreign intellectual property
covering the product and marks: Taiwan Patent Nos. M530261 and D181944; Chinese Patent
31. As a direct result of Plaintiff’s marketing efforts, the HD MIRROR CAM product
Li Defendants’ Deception
32. Upon information and belief, Defendants Jimmy Li, Lin Amy, Wu JinZhao,
John/Jane Doe and ABC Corp (Collectively referred to herein as the “Li Defendants”) work
together to, inter alia, sell knock off goods to customers throughout the United States and
Jinzhao at the address noted above in paragraph 10 as selling other knock off items such as
34. Upon information and belief, the Li Defendants have been marketing and selling
inauthentic products which infringe Plaintiff’s patent and trademark to customers throughout the
United States and specifically into New Jersey (the “Passed Off Product”) and using Plaintiff’s
35. Upon information and belief, the Li Defendants also own and operate the
following web sites, which sell and/or have sold the Passed Off Product while infringing
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36. Upon information and belief, the Li Defendants have been using the Infringing
Mark to market and sell the Passed Off Product on the Li Websites and several social media
37. Upon information and belief, the Li Defendants’ advertisements using the
38. Upon information and belief, the Li Defendants intentionally market the Passed
Off Product with the Infringing Mark to confuse consumers, benefit from Plaintiff’s efforts and
the goodwill associated with Plaintiff’s products and marks, and did so with full knowledge of
39. As a result of the Li Defendants’ acts, consumers are likely to be confused into
believing that the Passed Off Product emanate from, or are sponsored or approved by Plaintiff.
40. To further its deception of the public, the LI Defendants unlawfully posted
visiting those websites viewed the HD MIRROR CAM Commercial and then mistakenly
believed they were purchasing Plaintiff’s authentic and authorized HD MIRROR CAM product
42. Upon information and belief, the Li Defendants’ unauthorized broadcast of the
HD MIRROR CAM Commercial and literature has been viewed thousands of times.
43. Upon information and belief, the products sold and delivered by the Li
Defendants throughout the United States and specifically into the State of New Jersey infringes
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upon Plaintiff’s patent rights and is contained in packaging that bears plaintiff’s trademark
without authorization. Further the products are accompanied by material that infringes the
44. The Li Defendants never had authorization to use the HD MIRROR CAM Marks
or the HD MIRROR CAM Commercial or literature in connection with the sale of the Passed Off
Products. Further the Li Defendants never had authorization to use plaintiffs patent protected
inventions.
45. Additionally, In or about October 2018, duly provided notice to Defendant Jimmy
46. Defendants Shopify (USA) Inc. and Shopify Inc. (collectively “Shopify”) is a
platform that lets you start, grow, and manage a business [] Create and customize an online store
[] Sell in multiple places, including web, mobile, social media, online marketplaces, brick-and-
47. Shopify charges users a monthly fee plus fees for processing payments, including
a percentage-based fee for all credit card sales. See https://www.shopify.com/pricing (Last
48. Certain users of the Shopify ecommerce platform engage in rampant intellectual
counterfeiting.
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49. For instance, Shopify allows users to add products from China’s largest
ecommerce marketplace, AliExpress, directly to their “Shopify” stores. A recent study listed
AliExpress as the leading online marketplace were counterfeit goods are most frequently bought
and sold.1
successfully weeds out infringers of intellectual property and sellers of counterfeit merchandise.
51. However, this policy is little more than “window dressing,” as it does nothing to
52. Indeed, this purported policy actually allows infringers and counterfeiters access
to an e-commerce platform, and when infringement is reported the policy actually allows those
infringers and counterfeiters simply to change the name of the LLC or other entity registered
with Shopify to a new name. The infringers and counterfeiters then simply continue to sell the
54. Quite the opposite – it actually allows for the continued violation of legitimate
55. Shopify hosts and/or has hosted some of the Li websites which, as discussed
above, were used to advertise, market, and sell products in the United States and specifically in
New Jersey in violation of Plaintiff’s trademark, copyright, and patent rights (collectively
1
“Counterfeit Goods Are a $460 Billion Industry, and Most Are Bought and Sold Online” (accessible at:
https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/counterfeit-goodsare-a-460-billion-industry-and-most-are-bought-and-
sold-online/).
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56. Shopify facilitates sales in the United States and specifically in New Jersey of the
rights.
57. In or about October 2018, Plaintiff duly notified Shopify of the infringement of
plaintiff’s IP rights related to and arising from those websites and sales demanded that Shopify
59. Defendants GoDaddy Inc. and GoDaddy.com LLC (collectively “GoDaddy”) are
Internet domain registrar and web hosting companies, upon information and belief GoDaddy has
approximately 17 million customers and over 6,000 employees worldwide. Many of these
customers and/or employees are located throughout the United States including in New Jersey.
60. Like Shopify, GoDaddy hosts many websites where infringing activity regularly
occurs and also hosts and/or has hosted some of the Li websites which, as discussed above, were
used to advertise, market, and sell products in the United States and specifically in New Jersey in
violation of Plaintiff’s trademark, copyright, and patent rights (collectively “intellectual property
61. In or about October 2018, Plaintiff duly notified GoDaddy of the infringement of
plaintiff’s IP rights related to and arising from those websites and demanded that GoDaddy cease
63. Defendants Google LLC and Google.com LLC (collectively “Google”) specialize
in Internet-related services and products, which include online advertising technologies, search
engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware. Google’s search engine is the dominant search
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engine in the United States. Google's AdWords allows advertisers to display their
advertisers pay to display brief advertisements, service offerings, product listings, video content
and generate mobile application installs within the Google ad network to web users. The system
is based partly on cookies and partly on keywords determined by advertisers. It has evolved into
Google's main source of revenue, contributing to Google's total advertising revenues of US$95.4
65. When someone runs a search on Google, Google’s search engine looks at the
Adwords advertiser’s pool and determines whether there will be an auction. Advertisers (such as
Plaintiff and the Li Defendants) identify, among other things, keywords they want to bid on and
66. Plaintiff duly notified Google regarding the infringement by the Li Defendants.
67. Despite same, Google has permitted and continues to permit the Li Defendants to
68. Google has failed to take appropriate action timely, causing further damage to
Plaintiff.
69. Defendants’ acts as recited herein have been undertaken in bad faith so as to
70. Defendants’ actions have damaged and/or are likely to damage the reputation and
goodwill of Plaintiff.
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71. Plaintiff is being irreparably injured and monetarily damaged by the Defendants’
acts.
73. Plaintiff repeats and realleges the allegations of the preceding paragraphs as
74. This cause of action arises under Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. §
1125(a).
75. The acts of Defendants alleged herein, including their unauthorized marketing,
distribution and sale as well as facilitating and enabling same in interstate commerce of the
Passed Off Product using Plaintiff’s HD MIRROR CAM Marks, is likely to cause confusion,
76. Defendants have falsely and misleadingly described and suggested that the Passed
Off Products emanate from or are sponsored or approved by Plaintiff, and the Defendants have
damages and other harm, and will continue to suffer damages and other harm, including the loss
infringement includes not only direct infringement, but contributory infringement and aiding and
abetting the infringement. The continued loss of goodwill cannot be properly calculated and thus
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constitutes irreparable harm and an injury for which Plaintiff has no adequate remedy at law.
Plaintiff will continue to suffer irreparable harm unless this Court enjoins Defendants’ conduct.
79. Plaintiff repeats and realleges the allegations of the preceding paragraphs as
80. This cause of action arises under Section 501 of the Copyright Act of 1976, 17
U.S.C. § 501.
displaying and transmitting, and distributing the HD MIRROR CAM Commercial and Literature
on the LI Websites and with sold product, and Defendants have facilitated and enabled such
unlawful conduct. The infringement includes not only direct infringement, but contributory
82. All of Defendants’ acts, as alleged above, were without Plaintiff’s authorization
83. Defendants will, on information and belief, continue to infringe upon Plaintiff’s
rights under §501 of the Copyright Act unless and until they are enjoined by this Court. Plaintiff
has been and is likely to continue to be injured unless Defendants’ conduct as alleged herein is
84. Plaintiff repeats and realleges the allegations of the preceding paragraphs as
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86. Defendants have infringed Plaintiff’s U.S. Patent rights by making, using, selling
distributing the HD MIRROR CAM product covered by plaintiff’s patent as set forth above, and
Defendants have facilitated and enabled such unlawful conduct. The infringement includes not
only direct infringement, but contributory infringement and aiding and abetting the infringement.
87. All of Defendants’ acts, as alleged above, were without Plaintiff’s authorization
88. Defendants will, on information and belief, continue to infringe upon Plaintiff’s
rights under 35 USC § 271 and until they are enjoined by this Court. Plaintiff has been and is
likely to continue to be injured unless Defendants are enjoined. Plaintiff has no adequate remedy
at law.
89. Plaintiff repeats and realleges the allegations of the preceding paragraphs as
90. This cause of action arises under Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. §
1125(a) et seq. as well as United States Patent Law under Title 35 of the United States Code.
91. By the acts alleged above, Defendants have used in interstate commerce in
connection with its goods a false designation of origin, false or misleading description of fact, or
origin, sponsorship, authenticity or approval of the Passed Off Products by Plaintiff, and,
therefore, has committed unfair competition in violation of Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, 15
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92. Defendants’ unauthorized and tortious conduct has also deprived, and will
continue to deprive, Plaintiff of the ability to control the consumer perception of its products
offered under Plaintiff’s marks, placing the valued reputation and goodwill of Plaintiff in the
hands of Defendants.
damage, and will continue to suffer damages and other harm, including the loss of goodwill and
reputation. The continued loss of goodwill and reputation cannot be properly calculated and thus
constitutes irreparable harm and an injury for which Plaintiff has no adequate remedy at law.
Plaintiff will continue to suffer irreparable harm unless this Court enjoins Defendants’ conduct.
94. Plaintiff repeats and realleges the allegations of the preceding paragraphs as
96. The HD MIRROR CAM marks are also protected by common law.
97. The acts of Defendants alleged herein, including its unauthorized marketing,
distribution and sale in interstate commerce of the Passed Off Product using Plaintiff’s HD
MIRROR CAM marks, and Defendants facilitating and enabling of such conduct, is likely to
cause confusion, mistake or deception of purchasers and potential purchasers as to the origin,
98. By using such trademarks, Defendants have falsely and misleadingly described
and suggested that Defendant’s products emanate from or are sponsored or approved by Plaintiff.
99. Defendants’ conduct was and is willful and intentional and done with the intent to
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damages and other harm, and will continue to suffer damages and other harm, including the loss
of goodwill and reputation. The continued loss of goodwill and reputation cannot be properly
calculated and thus constitutes irreparable harm and an injury for which Plaintiff has no adequate
remedy at law. Plaintiff will continue to suffer irreparable harm unless this Court enjoins
Defendants’ conduct.
101. Plaintiff repeats and realleges the allegations of the preceding paragraphs as
102. This cause of action arises under New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, N.J.S.A.
§56:8-2, et seq.
103. The acts of Defendants alleged herein, including their unauthorized marketing,
distribution and sale in interstate commerce of the Passed Off Product using Plaintiff’s HD
MIRROR CAM Marks and the HD MIRROR CAM Commercial and Literature, and
104. Defendants’ conduct was and is willful and intentional and done with the intent
that others rely on their deception, fraud and misrepresentation. As a result of Defendants’ acts,
Plaintiff has suffered substantial damages and other harm, and will continue to suffer damages
JURY DEMAND
105. Plaintiff requests a jury trial on all issues that may be tried to a jury in this action.
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A. Preliminarily and permanently enjoining Defendants, its agents, servants, employees and
facilitating or enabling or aiding and abetting same) the Passed Off Product which infringes
ii. from distributing, advertising, promoting, selling, or offering for sale (or
facilitating or enabling or aiding and abetting same) the Passed Off Product using the HD
MIRROR CAM Marks, or any colorable imitation thereof, or the HD MIRROR CAM
iii. from using, or facilitating, enabling or aiding and abetting the use of, the HD
MIRROR CAM Marks and HD MIRROR CAM Commercial and/or literature; and
iv. from falsely representing or suggesting that any products Defendants sell or offers
for sale are authorized or emanate from Plaintiff, or from otherwise falsely advertising,
C For an order directing Defendants to pay a judgment in the amount of Plaintiff’s actual
damages under 15 U.S.C. §1117, 17 U.S.C. § 504, 35 USC §§284, 289 and New Jersey Law, as
well as Defendants’ profits, and pre- and post-judgment interest and treble damages pursuant to
15 U.S.C. §1117, 17 U.S.C. § 504, 35 U.S.C. §284, 289 and New Jersey Law, in an amount to be
proven at trial;
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exceptional nature of this case, pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1117(a), 17 U.S.C. § 505 and 35 U.S.C. §
285;
I. For an award of damages under N.J.S.A. §56:8-19, et seq. including treble damages,
J. That any third party service providers, including without limitation, web hosting
providers, social media or other online service providers (including without limitation, Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Google+), back-end service providers, affiliate program
providers, web designers, distributors, search-based online advertising services, and any banks,
savings and loan associations, merchant account providers, payment processors and providers,
credit card associations, or other financial institutions which receive or process payments or hold
assets on Defendants’ behalf (including without limitation, Avangate Inc., Avangate B.V.,
PayPal, Western Union, PayEase, IPS Ltd., Realypay, WorldPay, Opus Payments, Amazon
Discover, American Express, Visa Electron, Maestro, Solo, Laser, and Carte Bleue), shall
immediately cease or disable providing such services to: (i) Defendants in connection with the
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sale of infringing products (ii) Defendants in connection with the sale of products under the
Infringing Marks (iii) any and all of the Li Websites displaying the Infringing Marks or the HD
K. For an award of such other and further relief as this Court deems just and equitable.
I certify that the matter in controversy between the parties is not the subject of any other
Respectfully submitted,
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JS 44 {Rev. 06/17) CIVIL COVER SHEET
The JS 44 civil cover sheet and the information contained herein neither re_place nor supplement the filing and service of pleadings or other papers as required by law, except as
provided by local rules of court This form. approved by the Judicial Conference of the United States in September 1974, is required for the use of the Clerk of Court for the
purpose of initiating the civil docket sheet. (SEE INSTRUCTIONS ON NEXTPAGE OF THIS FORM.)
(c) Attorneys (Firm Name, Address, and Telephone Number) Attorneys (IfKnown)
Joseph A. Martin, Esq./Jeffrey Lubin , Esq ., Martin Law Firm LLC,
1 0000 Sagamore Drive, Suite 1 0203, Marlton, NJ 08053, 856-888-7020
II. BASIS OF JURISDICTION (Place an "X''in OneBox Only) III. CITIZENSHIP OF PRINCIPAL PARTIES (Place an ''X" in One Box for Plaintiff
(For Diversity Cases Only) and One Box for Defendant)
0 1 U.S. Government � 3 Federal Question PTF DEF PTF DEF
Plaintiff {US. Government Not a Party) Citizen ofThis State 0 I 0 1 Incorporated or Principal Place 0 4 04
of Business In This State
0 2 U.S. Government □ 4 Diversity Citizen of Another State 0 2 0 2 Incorporated and Principal Place 0 5 0 5
Defendant (Indicate Citizenship ofParties in item III) ofBusiness In Another State
0 3 0 3 Foreign Nation 0 6 0 6