Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
FILED
r il
..,,, •••
INTERSECTIONS INC.,
a Delaware Corporation,
3901 Stoneeroft Blvd., Chantilly, VA 20151
Civil Action No.
Plaintiff,
U\OCN \05(b
v.
ID WATCHDOG, INC.
A Cayman Islands Corporation, Jury Trial Demanded
535 16"' St., Suite 700, Denver, CO 80202
and
IDENTITY REHAB CORPORATION
A Colorado Corporation
535 16"' St., Suite 700, Denver, CO 80202
Defendants.
COMPLAINT
against Defendants, ID Watchdog, Inc. and Identity Rehab Corporation (collectively, "ID
Watchdog" or "Defendants") alleging as follows:
identical goods and services. This practice infringes upon Plaintiffs Federal and
common law trademark rights, constitutes false advertising and unfair competition.
Case 1:10-cv-01056-TSE -TCB Document 1 Filed 09/22/10 Page 2 of 12
2. Plaintiff seeks relief under the Federal Trademark Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1051,
et seq. ("Lanham Act"), particularly 15 U.S.C. §§ 1117 and 1125, for trademark
unfair competition. Plaintiff also asserts claims under the common law and state law.
3. This Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this action pursuant to 28
U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1332(a), 1338(a), and 1338(b). This Court also hasjurisdiction over any
jurisdiction of this Court because, among other things, Defendants have purposefully
advertising to and providing goods and services to the residents of the Commonwealth of
Virginia and by selling products and services to businesses and individuals located in the
Commonwealth of Virginia and by causing tortious injury to Plaintiff, who resides in this
information and belief, a substantial part of the events giving rise to the claims occurred
in this District and Defendants are residents of this District because theyare companies
THE PARTIES
Island corporation with its principal place of business at 535 16th St., Suite 700, Denver,
CO 80202.
Colorado corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of ID Watchdog, Inc., both with
their principal places of business at 535 16th St., Suite 700, Denver, CO 80202.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
theft protection services and credit bureau information services and has been actively
engaged in this business since 1999. Intersections has served more than 30 million
customers.
including assisting consumers with credit management, credit monitoring, identity theft
protection, identity theft insurance, credit education, fraud resolution assistance, credit
card registration services, and credit card cancellation and monitoring services. Many of
employees and/or customers. Intersections also provides its services to business clients
to assist in their responses to data security breaches that may expose sensitive personal
information.
CHECKUP.
with identity theft protection services since 2008, and owns federal Trademark
Case 1:10-cv-01056-TSE -TCB Document 1 Filed 09/22/10 Page 4 of 12
13. Over the years since its founding, Intersections has invested heavily in
advertising and promoting its brands and related services, including spending more than
advertises its services via the Internet, including through its own website, through banner
ads, through adwords purchased from search engines such as Yahoo, Google, and MSN,
through affiliate marketing, through third parties who in turn market to their consumers
through online means and traditional marketing means such as direct mail, and also
store collateral advertising displays, newsletters, direct mail, brochures, and handouts.
14. During the past several years, Intersections has built up substantial
consumer goodwill for its many services and programs directed to credit management
brands and services, the public has come to associate the mark ID CHECKUP with
16. Intersections has been vigilant in protecting its marks and has filed at least
three civil Complaints in Federal Court and has filed numerous opposition proceedings in
the United States Patent & Trademark Office to protect its valuable brands from
and, like Plaintiff, market those services through various media, including the website
Case 1:10-cv-01056-TSE -TCB Document 1 Filed 09/22/10 Page 5 of 12
Plaintiffs ID Checkup mark. The services upon which ID Check and ID Checkup are
idCHECKf \DchecWp
Defendants' Logo Plaintiffs Logo
with identity theft protection services since 2008 and has been using the logo depicted
above since January 2010. Defendants' subsequent use of a substantially identical name
and logo in connection with identical services is likely to cause consumer confusion,
21. Intersections contacted Defendants with its concerns but Defendants have
refused to cease use of the infringing trademark or otherwise cease their unfair
competition. As a result. Plaintiff has been forced to initiate this lawsuit in order to seek
relief.
COUNT I
LANHAM ACT
TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT/FALSE DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN
17 U.S.C. S 1125(a)
advertising, offering for sale and selling services bearing the name ID Check.
15 U.S.C. § 1125(a).
39. Defendants' conduct has caused, and unless restrained by the Court, will
determined at trial.
41. Upon information and belief, Defendants' aforesaid infringing conduct has
been willful, wanton, and malicious and done with an intent to deceive. Intersections is
therefore entitled to an award of its reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, and treble its
actual damages.
Case 1:10-cv-01056-TSE -TCB Document 1 Filed 09/22/10 Page 7 of 12
COUNT II
LANHAM ACT - UNFAIR COMPETITION
17 U.S.C. S 1125fa)
competition and the use of false descriptions and representations in violation of section
43(a)(1)(A) and (B) of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a)(1)(A) and (B).
45. Defendants - and /or their officers, agents, representatives, and employees
- have made false and misleading representations about their connection to Intersections'
goods and services. Specifically, Defendants have used the ID Check name and logo in
connection with identity risk analysis services such that they are likely to cause
association of Defendants' services with Intersections' ID Checkup mark and logo and
46. Defendants have caused their services to enter into interstate commerce.
portionof the purchasing public, and such deception is material in that it is likely to
suffered, and will continue to suffer, substantial damage to its business reputation and
goodwill, as well as diversion of trade and loss of profits in an amount not yet
Case 1:10-cv-01056-TSE -TCB Document 1 Filed 09/22/10 Page 8 of 12
ascertained.
49. Defendants are directly, vicariously and contributorily liable for unfair
competition and the use of false descriptions and representations in violation of section
43(a)(1)(A) and (B) of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a)(1)(A) and (B).
50. Defendants' conduct has caused, and unless restrained by the Court, will
determined at trial.
52. Upon information and belief, Defendants' aforesaid infringing conduct has
been willful, wanton, and malicious and done with an intent to deceive. Intersections is
therefore entitled to an award of its reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, and treble its
actual damages.
COUNT HI
VIRGINIA COMMON LAW TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT
consumer that Intersections and Defendants are somehow affiliated and is likely to
confuse consumers into purchasing Defendants' services when they were instead seeking
Intersections' services.
56. Defendants' use of the ID Check name, that is substantially identical to the
determined at trial.
59. Defendants' conduct has caused, and unless restrained by the Court, will
Defendants.
CHECKUP has been infringed as a direct and proximate result of the acts of Defendants
as set forth in this Complaint, in violation of Intersections' rights under the Lanham Act,
B. That this Court will adjudge that Defendants have competed unfairly, and
made false descriptions and representations of the origin of its services as set forth in this
Complaint, in violation of Intersections' rights under the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125,
affiliates, attorneys, successors, and assigns of Defendants, and all persons in active
unfair competition;
D. That Defendants have the burden to ensure that its officers, directors,
agents, servants, employees, affiliates, attorneys, successors, and assigns comply with
this Order;
Intersections suffered;
Intersections' rights, and to deter future infringement, the Court increase the damages and
H. That Intersections have and recover its attorneys' fees, taxable costs and
10
Case 1:10-cv-01056-TSE -TCB Document 1 Filed 09/22/10 Page 11 of 12
I. That Intersections have such other and further relief as the Court may
11
Case 1:10-cv-01056-TSE -TCB Document 1 Filed 09/22/10 Page 12 of 12
JURY DEMAND
INTERSECTIONS INC.
#402636
12