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OPINION and ORDER ROBERT L. MILLER, JR., Chief Judge. This case is before the court on the motion of Vision Center Northwest, Inc., d/b/a Vision Values by Dr. Tavel (âDr.Tavelâ), for summary judgment on the claims of the amended complaint and on the claims of the counterclaim, and on the motion of Vision Value, d/b/a Eyeglass Express (âVision Valueâ), for summary judgment on the claims of the amended complaint and its own counterclaim. For the reasons that follow, the court denies Dr. Tavelâs motion and grants in part and denies in part Vision Valueâs motion. Facts Dr. Tavel and Vision Value both are in the business of offering vision services and products. Dr. Tavel opened his South Bend, Indiana, store in the Broadmoor Plaza in 1991 as âVision Values by Dr. Tavel;â in 1996, the business was renamed âDr. Tavel.â Eyeglass Express caught the attention of Dr. Tavel when that business changed its name to âVision Valueâ in February 2007. Vision Valueâs store is located in Mishawaka, Indiana, eight miles or so from Dr. Tavelâs South Bend location. Dr. Tavel filed suit against Vision Value in April 2007, alleging unfair competition under the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125 (a), and trademark infringement and unfair competition under common law and Indiana statutory law. 1 Dr. Tavel moved for a preliminary injunction to prohibit Vision Valueâs use of the âVision Valuesâ mark. After a hearing, the court issued a preliminary injunction enjoining Vision Value from using âVison Valueâ or âVision Valuesâ in any âsignage, telephone directories, billboards, broadcast advertisements, newspaper advertisements, or as a corporate name, trademark, service mark, or assumed name.â Opinion and Ord., Nov. 1, 2007, at 20, 2007 WL 3256647 . Dr. Tavel changed his storeâs name to âVision Value$ by Dr. Tavel,â and Vision Value filed a counterclaim for wrongful injunction. In August 2007, Dr. Tavel obtained the rights to the mark âVision Value$â from Luxottiea, and in February 2008, Dr. Tavel filed an application with the Patent and *682 Trademark Office to register the design mark âVision Value$ by Dr. Tavelâ and the word mark âVision Value$.â The design mark registration was issued on March 24, 2009; the PTO has stayed consideration of the word mark registration based on an objection having been filed by Vision Value and the litigation pending in this court. The discovery process in this case hasnât been a smooth one, but the ongoing disputes between the parties and counsel that have resulted in numerous motions being filed arenât relevant to the courtâs consideration of the partiesâ summary judgment motions and so wonât be recapped here. The motions are both ripe for review. Summary Judgment Standard Summary judgment is appropriate where the âpleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.â Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). The court must construe the evidence and all inferences that reasonably can be drawn from the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505 , 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The moving party bears the burden of informing the court of the basis for its motion, together with evidence demonstrating the absence of any genuine issue of material fact. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548 , 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). Once the moving party has met its burden, the party opposing the motion may not rest upon mere allegations or denials in the pleadings, but must set forth specific facts showing that there exists a genuine issue for trial. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505 . Cross-summary judgment motions donât imply that there are no genuine issues of material fact: â[pjarties have different burdens of proof with respect to particular facts; different legal theories will have an effect on which facts are material; and the process of taking the facts in the light most favorable to the non-movant, first for one side and then for the other, may highlight the point that neither side has enough to prevail without a trial.â R.J. Corman Derailment Servs., LLC v. International Union of Operating Engârs, Local 150, 335 F.3d 643, 647-648 (7th Cir.2003). The court isnât required to grant summary judgment for either side when faced with cross-motions. âRather, the court is to evaluate each motion on its merits, resolving factual uncertainties and drawing all reasonable inferences against the movant.â Crespo v. Unum Life Ins. Co. of America, 294 F.Supp.2d 980, 991 (N.D.Ill.2003) (citations omitted); see also OâRegan v. Arbitration Forums, Inc., 246 F.3d 975, 983 (7th Cir.2001) (âWith cross-motions, our review of the record requires that we construe all inferences in favor of the party against whom the motion under consideration is made.â). Summary judgment âis the put up or shut up moment in a lawsuit, when a party must show what evidence it has that would convince a trier of fact to accept its version of the events.â Springer v. Durflinger, 518 F.3d 479, 484 (7th Cir. 2008) (internal quotation and citation omitted). Dr. Tavelâs Motion Dr. Tavel seeks summary judgment on the claims of his amended complaint and on the claims of Vision Valueâs counterclaim. Dr. Tavel maintains summary judgment in his favor is proper because he has established that the mark âVision Valuesâ is valid and protectable and that Vision Valueâs unlawful use of the mark has caused actual confusion. He says, too, that his entitlement to judgment on his claims would necessarily result in entry of *683 judgment in his favor on Vision Valueâs claims for wrongful injunction. Vision Value has objected to evidence relied upon by Dr. Tavel, and Dr. Tavel has moved to strike those objections, but because none of the objections affect the courtâs consideration of the motion, the objections and motion to strike the objections will be denied. Count I of Dr. Tavelâs amended complaint is a claim for unfair competition under 15 U.S.C. § 1125 (a), which prohibits the use in commerce of âany word, term, name, symbol, or deviceâ or âany false designation of originâ that is âlikely to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive as to the affiliation, connection, or association of such person with another person, or as to the origin, sponsorship, or approval of his or her goods, services, or commercial activities by another person.â Federal registration of a mark isnât a prerequisite to an action under § 1125(a). See TMT North America, Inc. v. Magic Touch GmbH, 124 F.3d 876, 881 (7th Cir. 1997) (âSince the purpose of a trademark, whether federally registered or unregistered, is to designate the origin of goods, the infringement of such a trademark is actionable under section [1125(a) ], provided the other requirements of the section are met.â). Dr. Tavel alleges in Count II of the amended complaint that the same facts support his claims for trademark infringement and unfair competition under the common law and unidentified Indiana statutes. 2 Therefore, the same analysis will govern Dr. Tavelâs claims of unfair competition and trademark infringement because they all turn upon the same law and facts. See Moseley v. V Secret Catalogue, Inc., 537 U.S. 418, 428 , 123 S.Ct. 1115 , 155 L.Ed.2d 1 (2003) (âTraditional trademark infringement law is part of a broader law of unfair competition that has its sources in English common law, and was largely codified in the Trademark Act of 1946 (Lanham Act).â (internal citation omitted)); Indiana Cheer Elite, Inc. v. Champion Cheering Organization, LLC, No. 3:05-CV-125, 2005 WL 2219467 , at *1 n. 1 (N.D.Ind. Sept. 13, 2005) (âThe analysis under the Lanham Act for ... unfair competition also applies to claims for unfair competition under Indiana common law.â); Felsher v. University of Evansville, 755 N.E.2d 589, 598 (Ind.2001) (âIndiana courts have created a cause of action for unfair competition, defined as the attempt to create confusion concerning the source of the unfair competitorâs goods. This common law tort was historically considered a subspecies of the class of torts known as tortious interference with business or contractual relations.â (internal citations omitted)). To prevail on his claims, Dr. Tavel must prove, first, that he has a protectable mark, and, second, that the defen *684 dantâs use of the mark is likely to cause consumer confusion. H-D Michigan, Inc. v. Top Quality Serv., Inc., 496 F.3d 755, 759 (7th Cir.2007); Packman v. Chicago Tribune Co., 267 F.3d 628, 638 (7th Cir. 2001). The first element requires a determination of whether a âword, term, name, symbol, or deviceâ is entitled to protection. Trademarks are classified in categories of generally increasing distinctiveness: â(1) generic; (2) descriptive; (3) suggestive; (4) arbitrary; or (5) fanciful.â Two Pesos, Inc. v. Taco Cabana, Inc., 505 U.S. 763, 768 , 112 S.Ct. 2753 , 120 L.Ed.2d 615 (1992). Marks that are suggestive, arbitrary, or fanciful âare deemed inherently distinctive and are entitled to protection .... In contrast, generic marks â ⢠those that refer to the genus of which the particular product is a species â are not registrable as trademarks,â and descriptive marks â those that are merely descriptive of a product â âare not inherently distinctiveâ but may acquire the distinctiveness, a âsecondary meaning,â that would allow them to be protected under the Act. Two Pesos v. Taco Cabana, 505 U.S. at 768-769 , 112 S.Ct. 2753 . âWhen the identifying âword, term, name, symbol or deviceâ claimed as a trade name or mark is not registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the burden is on the claimant ... to establish that it is entitled to protection.â Platinum Home Mortgage Co. v. Platinum Fin. Group, Inc., 149 F.3d 722, 727 (7th Cir.1998). Citing to portions of the courtâs preliminary injunction order, Dr. Tavel claims he âpreviously establishedâ that the âVision Valuesâ mark is suggestive and protectable. According to Dr. Tavel, âThis is significant; suggestive marks are regarded as being âinherently distinctiveâ and entitled to legal protection.â He concludes that it âhas been established as a matter of law that the mark is valid and entitled to legal protection.â The court canât agree. Findings and conclusions in a preliminary injunction order arenât binding on the court at the summary judgment stage: âfindings of fact and conclusions of law made at the preliminary injunction stage are often based on incomplete evidence and a hurried consideration of the issues; and ... different standards apply in the two contexts (reasonable likelihood of success on an injunction, and the existence of any genuine issues of material fact on summary judgment).â Thomas & Betts Corp. v. Panduit Corp., 138 F.3d 277, 292 (7th Cir.1998); see also Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians v. Stop Treaty Abuse-Wisconsin, Inc., 991 F.2d 1249, 1258 (7th Cir.1993) (âwe have advised district courts to be cautious in adopting conclusions of law made in ruling on a preliminary injunction because the posture of the case at that time inevitably entails incomplete evidentiary materials and hurried consideration of the issuesâ); Highway J Citizens Group, U.A. v. United States Depât of Transp., 656 F.Supp.2d 868, 881 (E.D.Wis.2009) (âAs a general rule, however, decisions on preliminary injunctions do not constitute law of the case, and the parties are free to litigate the merits during later phases.â). While Dr. Tavel is correct that âthe use on summary judgment of evidence introduced at a hearing at an earlier stage in a case, such as one on preliminary injunction, should be more freely permitted,â Reply, at 1, he has presented no citation to or analysis of evidence presented at the preliminary injunction hearing demonstrating that his mark is suggestive and protectable. Dr. Tavel also says that his claim that the mark is suggestive is supported by the Patent and Trademark Office, which, he says, âagrees with the court that the mark is protectable.â According to Dr. Tavel, because the PTO ârequired only a dis *685 claimer of the word âvisionâ and not both words ... the PTO continues to support the courtâs findings relating to protectability of the mark.â Memo., at 12-13. Vision Value responds that the PTO ânever made any âfindingâ regarding the âprotectabilityâ of the mark âVision Values,â and ... has certainly never seen or commented on this courtâs âfindings.â â Resp., at 8. In reply, Dr. Tavel reports that he filed an application for a word mark for âVision Value$â and says âit is likely the word mark would have registered but for the opposition proceeding Vision Value initiated after the Notice of Publication.â Reply, at 7. Dr. Tavel has submitted copies of the PTOâs June 2, 2008 Office Actions relating to his applications for a work mark for âVision Value$â and a design mark for âVision Value$ by Dr. Tavelâ (for which a registration was issued on March 24, 2009, see Pltf. Exh. 5). Dr. Tavel, though, hasnât explained how his application for registration of the mark âVision Value$â or the PTO documents upon which he relies establish that the mark here at issue, âVision Values,â is suggestive and protectable. 3 Dr. Tavel has the burden of directing the courtâs attention to pertinent, admissible evidence that supports his claims. He hasnât done so. He merely says supporting evidence was presented âat the preliminary injunction hearing, all of which is a part of the record on summary judgment,â without citation to the specific evidence upon which he relies. The transcript of the preliminary injunction is appended to Dr. Tavelâs summary judgment motion as Exhibit 6, but the court isnât obligated to search through that transcript for relevant argument or evidence. See Estate of Moreland v. Dieter, 395 F.3d 747 , 759 (7th Cir.2005) (âWe will not scour a record to locate evidence supporting a partyâs legal argument.â); Johnson v. Cambridge Indus., Inc., 325 F.3d 892, 898 (7th Cir.2003) (âWe have repeatedly assured the district courts that they are not required to scour every inch of the record for evidence that is potentially relevant to the summary judgment motion before them.â). Dr. Tavelâs reliance on the text of the preliminary injunction order and the PTOâs Office Actions, without more, doesnât establish as a matter of law that the âVision Valuesâ mark is protectable. Dr. Tavel hasnât identified any applicable Indiana statute(s) or carried his burden of establishing a prima facie case under the Lanham Act or applicable common law, so the court denies his request for summary judgment on the claims of his amended complaint and those of the counterclaim. Vision Valueâs Motion Vision Value maintains it is entitled to summary judgment on the claims of the amended complaint based on three arguments. Vision Value first says Dr. Tavel canât prevail on any claim relating to the âVision Valuesâ mark because Dr. Tavel abandoned any ownership rights he may have had in that mark in 1996 when he changed the name of his South Bend store from âVision Values by Dr. Tavelâ to âDr. Tavelâ and didnât begin using the mark again until after this suit was filed in 2007. Vision Value next says it couldnât have infringed the mark because its store is located in Mishawaka and Dr. Tavelâs store is located in South Bend, two different geographic markets. Lastly, Vision Value says the term âVision Valueâ has no secondary meaning because other optical *686 companies use the term for optical-related goods and services. Trademark rights are acquired and retained only through actual use of a mark. See Sands, Taylor & Wood Co. v. Quaker Oats Co., 978 F.2d 947, 954-955 (7th Cir.1992) (âBecause trademark rights derive from the use of a mark in commerce ..., the owner of a mark will lose his exclusive rights if he fails actually to use it.â). A trademarkâs nonuse may result in the mark being deemed abandoned if use of the mark âhas been discontinued with intent not to resume such use. Intent not to resume may be inferred from circumstances. Nonuse for 3 consecutive years shall be prima facie evidence of abandonment. âUseâ of a mark means the bona fide use of such mark made in the ordinary course of trade, and not made merely to reserve a right in a mark.â 15 U.S.C. § 1127 ; see also Cumulus Media, Inc. v. Clear Channel Communications, Inc., 304 F.3d 1167, 1173 (11th Cir.2002) (âAbandonment is trademark lawâs way of recognizing that trademark rights flow from use.â). A mark is used in commerce in connection with services âwhen it is used or displayed in the sale or advertising of services and the services are rendered in commerce.â 15 U.S.C. § 1127 . Establishing abandonment, then, requires proof of two elements: non-use of the mark and an intent not to reuse the mark. Zelinski v. Columbia 300, Inc., 335 F.3d 633, 639 (7th Cir.2003); Sands, Taylor & Wood Co. v. Quaker Oats Co., 978 F.2d 947, 955 (7th Cir.1992); Roulo v. Russ Berrie & Co., Inc., 886 F.2d 931, 938 (7th Cir.1989). Three consecutive years of nonuse creates a presumption that the owner intended not to resume use of the mark. 15 U.S.C. § 1127 . If the presumption is triggered, the owner of the mark âhas the burden of producing evidence of either actual use during the relevant period or intent to resume use. The ultimate burden of proof (by a preponderance of the evidence) remains always on the challenger.â Emergency One, Inc. v. American FireEagle, Ltd., 228 F.3d 531, 536 (4th Cir.2000) (citations omitted); see also Roulo v. Russ Berne & Co., 886 F.2d at 938 (âThe trial judge properly instructed the jury that the defendant must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that plaintiff abandoned the ... trade dress, that abandonment is found when use has been discontinued with intent not to resume use, and that such intent may be presumed from nonuse for two consecutive years.â). 4 Vision Value contends Dr. Tavel isnât entitled to the relief he seeks because he abandoned his prior use of the âVision Valuesâ mark when he removed the mark from the name of his South Bend store in 1996 and ceased using it for another ten years. Vision Value says Dr. Tavel didnât begin using the mark again until sometime after April 2007, when he filed this lawsuit and changed the name of the South Bend store to âVision Value$ by Dr. Tavel.â Vision Value notes that the storeâs name change was formally announced in the South Bend Tribune in January 2008 as follows: âDr. Tavel is now Vision Value$ by Dr. Tavel.â Deft. Exh. AA. Vision Value cites to other evidence of Dr. Tavelâs continuous nonuse: âDeposition testimony by long-time Dr. Tavel employee Toni Kreps, who stated that the South Bend store hadnât operated under the name âVision Valuesâ since 1996, Kreps Dep., at 41; no signage using the name âVision Valuesâ had been used on or in the store since at least 2002, Kreps Dep., at 26, 35; she *687 couldnât remember any promotional materials containing the âVision Valuesâ logo being used between January 2002 and January 2007, Kreps Dep., at 35; and most customers know the store as âDr. Tavel,â Kreps Dep., at 43-44. âLarry Tavelâs deposition testimony that âDr. Tavelâ was the main name used by the South Bend store in September 2007, Tavel Dep., at 26-27. âThe South Bend/ Michiana Yellow Pages contained no listing under Opticians for any store named âVision Valuesâ in 2006 or 2007, Deft. Exh. GG. Vision Value argues that Dr. Tavelâs listing of âVision Values by Dr. Tavelâ in the white pages of the areaâs telephone books is insufficient to establish actual âuseâ of the mark. Vision Value concludes that Dr. Tavelâs period of nonuse of more than three years is prima facie evidence of abandonment. To rebut the presumption of abandonment of the âVision Valuesâ mark, Dr. Tavel must produce â âevidence explaining the non-use or demonstrating the lack of an intent not to resume use.â â Zelinski v. Columbia 300, Inc., 335 F.3d 633, 639 (7th Cir.2003) (quoting Sands, Taylor & Wood Co. v. Quaker Oats Co., 978 F.2d 947, 955 (7th Cir.1992)). Dr. Tavel responds that even though his South Bend store stopped using âVision Valuesâ and became known as âDr. Tavel One Hour Opticalâ in 1996, he used the mark continuously in the South Bend/Mishawaka phone directory. In support, Dr. Tavel cites to the courtâs preliminary injunction order and the listing of âVision Values by Dr. Tavelâ in the business white pages of the 2004-2005 âBest Book, Michiana & More,â the May 2005 edition of the âSBC, Michiana Areaâ book, and the May 2006, May 2007, and May 2008 editions of the âAT & T, Michiana Areaâ book. See Pltf. Exh. 4 (to docket # 162). Dr. Tavel says the mark is protectable in Indiana and Southern Michigan based on the reach of the telephone directories into numerous northern Indiana and southern Michigan communities. Dr. Tavel concludes that telephone directory listings are seen as âsignificant actual uses of trademarksâ and, therefore, he never abandoned the mark âas a matter of law.â Resp., at 10. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to Dr. Tavel as the court must do at this stage of the proceedings, the court concludes that Dr. Tavel hasnât produced evidence sufficient to show âuseâ of the mark. âUseâ means âthe bona fide use of a mark in the ordinary course of trade, and not made merely to reserve a right in a mark.â 15 U.S.C. § 1127 . â â[Trademark rights are not created by sporadic, casual, and nominal shipments of goods bearing a mark. There must be a trade in the goods sold under the mark or at least an active and public attempt to establish such a trade.â â Allard Enterprises, Inc. v. Advanced Programming Resources, Inc., 146 F.3d 350, 359 (6th Cir.1998) (quoting La Societe Anonyme des Parfums Le Galion v. Jean Patou, Inc., 495 F.2d 1265, 1274 (2d Cir. 1974)); see also Miyano Mach. USA Inc. v. MiyanoHitec Mach. Inc., 576 F.Supp.2d 868, 881-882 (N.D.Ill.2008) (âNeither residual or token use nor mere promotional use on goods in a different course of trade constitute proper âuseâ under the Lanham Act.â). Dr. Tavel relies on his telephone directory listing to establish his use of the mark. He points to five cases in which telephone listings were considered, but unlike Dr. Tavelâs use of a white pages listing, the marks in the majority of those cases were *688 used in yellow page advertisements. 5 While the court canât agree with Vision Value that South Bend and Mishawaka are different markets, even if Dr. Tavelâs telephone listing reached the entire Michiana area, the listing of a telephone number in the white page doesnât constitute the type of âbona fide useâ the statute requires. See Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Tel. Serv. Co., Inc., 499 U.S. 340, 363 , 111 S.Ct. 1282 , 113 L.Ed.2d 358 (1991) (âThe white pages do nothing more than list Ruralâs subscribers in alphabetical order.â); DaimlerChrysler AG v. Bloom, 315 F.3d 932, 939 (8th Cir.2003) (âWe thus conclude that the licensing of a toll-free telephone number, without more, is not a âuseâ within the meaning of the Lanham Act, even where one possible alphanumeric translation of such number might spell-out a protected mark.â); cf. Juno Online Servs., L.P. v. Juno Lighting, Inc., 979 F.Supp. 684, 691 (N.D.Ill.1997) (âThe mere âwarehousingâ of the domain name is not enough to find that defendant placed the mark on goods or âused or displayed [the mark] in the sale or advertising of servicesâ as required [by] 15 U.S.C. § 1127 .â). Dr. Tavel also claims he continued to use the mark in âother commercial media,â Resp., at 9, but he has provided no support for that statement. He has submitted a copy of an advertisement he says appeared in the South Bend Tribune on several days in August 2006, Resp., Exh. 4, but that advertisement is for the âDr. Tavelâ store; the mark âVision Valuesâ doesnât appear in the advertisement. Dr. Tavel notes that Toni Kreps testified that she had no memory of the mark being used on promotional materials in the last five years, but he hasnât produced any promotional materials that made use of the âVision Valuesâ mark during that time. In fact, he says â[t]he electronic versions of certain South Bend *689 advertisements do not use the mark until the September 2007 timeframe.â Resp., at 5. Dr. Tavel hasnât produced evidence sufficient to rebut the presumption that from 1996 to 2007 he made no âbona fide useâ of the âVision Valuesâ mark. While Dr. Tavel hasnât produced evidence sufficient to establish his use of the mark, he still may refute the presumption of abandonment by producing evidence of intent to resume use of the mark. He hasnât done so. The court acknowledges that the South Bend, storeâs name was changed to âVision Value$ by Dr. Tavel,â but Dr. Tavel took that action in late 2007, more than ten years after he stopped using the mark and only after he â filed suit in this court. See ITC Ltd. v. Punchgini, Inc., 482 F.3d 135 , 149 n. 9 (2d Cir.2007) (âa mark holderâs intent to resume use of the mark must be formulated during the three-year period of non-useâ); PBI Performance Prods., Inc. v. Norfab Corp., 514 F.Supp.2d 725 , 729 n. 3 (E.D.Pa. 2007) (âThe filing of a lawsuit ... is only an indication that the plaintiff intends to protect its rights to the trademark, not that the plaintiff intends to resume use of the mark.â). Dr. Tavel hasnât alleged, argued, or produced evidence that he was or had been considering resuming use of the mark, that he was or had been making arrangements to resume use of the mark, or that he had any intention to resume using the mark âwithin the reasonably foreseeable futureâ or at all. Emergency One, Inc. v. American FireEagle, Ltd., 228 F.3d 531, 537 (4th Cir.2000); Roulo v. Russ Berrie & Co., Inc., 886 F.2d 931, 938-939 (7th Cir.1989). âRather, an intent to resume use of the mark can only come from evidence that shows a genuine and substantial consideration of a business idea where use of the mark would be resumed.â Warren Publishing Co. v. Spurlock, 645 F.Supp.2d 402, 438 (E.D.Pa.2009). Dr. Tavel has presented no such evidence. Vision Value set forth evidence demonstrating that Dr. Tavel hadnât used the âVision Valuesâ mark for at least three years prior to 2007, and Dr. Tavel didnât rebut the presumption of abandonment by presenting evidence sufficient to explain his non-use or to demonstrate' his intent to resume use of the mark. Zelinski v. Columbia 300, Inc., 335 F.3d 633, 639 (7th Cir.2003); Roulo v. Russ Berrie & Co., 886 F.2d at 938 . Because the evidence establishes that Dr. Tavel had abandoned his use of the âWision Valuesâ mark when he filed suit in 2007, Vision Value is entitled to judgment on the claims of Dr. Tavelâs amended complaint. See Cumulus Media, Inc. v. Clear Channel Communications, Inc., 304 F.3d 1167, 1173 (11th Cir.2002) (âThus, a defendant who successfully shows that a trademark plaintiff has abandoned a mark is free to use the mark without liability to the plaintiff.â). That judgment, though, doesnât automatically result in judgment for Vision Value on its counterclaim; Vision Value still has the burden of establishing its own entitlement to judgment. See Metropolitan Stevedore Co. v. Rambo, 521 U.S. 121 , 137 n. 9, 117 S.Ct. 1953 , 138 L.Ed.2d 327 (1997) (âThe burden of showing something by a- preponderance of evidence ... simply requires the trier of fact to believe that the existence of a fact is more probable than its nonexistence before [he] may find in favor of the party who has the burden to persuade the [judge] of the factâs existence.â) (iquoting Concrete Pipe & Prods, of California, Inc. v. Construction Laborers Pension Trust for So. California, 508 U.S. 602, 622 , 113 S.Ct. 2264 , 124 L.Ed.2d 539 (1993)). Vision Value hasnât presented argument or legal support for its request for judgment on its counterclaim and that portion of its summary judgment motion is denied. *690 Conclusion Based on the foregoing, the court (1) DENIES the defendantâs objections to the plaintiffs designation of evidence [docket # 169]; (2) DENIES the plaintiffs motion to strike the defendantâs objections to plaintiffs evidence [docket # 175]; (3) DENIES the plaintiffs motion for summary judgment [docket # 161]; (4) GRANTS in part and DENIES in part the defendantâs motion for summary judgment [docket # 159] as follows: (a) the motion is GRANTED with respect to the defendantâs request for judgment on the claims of the plaintiffs amended complaint, and (b) the motion is DENIED with respect to the defendantâs motion for judgment on its counterclaim; (5) DENIES the partiesâ joint motion for continuance of pretrial deadlines [docket # 180]. This cause remains at issue on the defendantâs counterclaim, and the final pretrial conference remains scheduled for November 17, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. SO ORDERED. 1 . Dr. Tavel's original complaint also contained a claim for federal trademark dilution, 15 U.S.C. § 1125 (c), but that claim was dismissed and an amended complaint was filed on July 20, 2009. The summary judgment motions address the amended complaint's unfair competition and trademark infringement claims. 2 . Although Dr. Tavel hasnât identified any Indiana statute that forms the legal basis for his claim(s) in Count II, Indianaâs Trademark Act, Ind. Code § 24-2-1 et seq., addresses trademark infringement and provides âa system of state trademark registration and protection that is consistent with the federal system of trademark registration and protection under the Trademark Act of 1946. A judicial or an administrative interpretation of a provision of the federal Trademark Act may be considered as persuasive authority in construing a provision of this chapter.â Ind.Code § 24-2-1-0.5. If, indeed, Indianaâs Trademark Act is a statute upon which Dr. Tavel relies, recovery under the Act requires a certificate of registration from the Indiana Secretary of State. Dr. Tavel hasnât alleged or established that he has registered a mark in Indiana. See Felsher v. University of Evansville, 755 N.E.2d 589, 599 (Ind.2001) ("Registration of the trademark with the office of the Secretary of State provides the registrant a remedy against the infringement of the registered trademark.â). 3 . Dr. Tavel claims the PTO "agrees with the courtâ that the mark is protectable, but he provides no citation to the applicable language in the documents he submits. The court reviewed the Office Action document relating to the "Vision Value$â mark and found that the PTO addressed the issue as follows: "the mark appears to be inherently distinctive.â Pltf. Reply Exh. 1, p. 2. 4 . 15 U.S.C. § 1127 was amended in January 1996 to provide for a three-year, rather than a two-year, period of non-use that establishes a prima facie case of abandonment. 5 . Dr. Tavel cites to the following cases, without comment or parenthetical explanation as to how they might be â or after closer examination might not be applicable: Mini Maid Servs. Co. v. Maid Brigade Sys., Inc., 967 F.2d 1516, 1518-1519 (11th Cir.1992) (telephone number at issue was advertised in yellow pages by one company as being its number when, in fact, the number had been purchased by another company with a similar name; no discussion of whether a telephone listing alone is sufficient to maintain a trademark); Synergistic Intâl, LLC v. Korman, No. 2:05-CV-49, 2007 WL 517677 , at *9 (E.D.Va. Feb. 8, 2007) (telephone number at issue was contained in a yellow page advertisement; no discussion of whether a telephone listing alone is sufficient to maintain a trademark); Sleep Country USA, Inc. v. Northwest Pacific, Inc., No. C02-1923P, 2003 WL 23842534 , at *6 (W.D.Wash. Oct. 10, 2003) ("The phone directory listing does not establish prior use because it is a bad-faith add-on use. A bad-faith add-on use is one where a party, knowing of anotherâs plans to sell under a mark, rushes in to make a preemptive first [use].... A bad-faith add-on use does not establish priority of use." No discussion of whether a telephone listing alone is sufficient to maintain a trademark.); Mayflower Transit, Inc. v. Ann Arbor Warehouse Co., Inc., 892 F.Supp. 1134, 1139 (S.D.Ind.1995) (breach of contract case involving wrongful sale of five telephone numbers appearing in yellow page advertisements: "What makes control of the numbers so important is that they appear in the Yellow Pages under the Mayflower name and logo, thus enabling lesser known local agents to associate themselves with Mayflower's nationally-recognized name, service marks and reputation. Since White Pages listings are not as important in this respect as Yellow Pages listings, we find it unlikely that the parties would have intended for [the contract] to apply only to White Pages listings.â No discussion of whether a telephone listing alone is sufficient to maintain a trademark.); American Airlines, Inc. v. A 1-800-A-M-E-R-I-C-A-N Corp., 622 F.Supp. 673, 675-676 (N.D.Ill. 1985) ("Because 1-800âs wrongful conduct lies in its misleading use of the "Airline Companiesâ yellow-pages listing rather than its mere use of its telephone number ..., it is difficult to conceive of its prevailing on the merits in the classical sense.â No discussion of whether a telephone listing alone is sufficient to maintain a trademark.). Case Information
- Court
- N.D. Ind.
- Decision Date
- November 3, 2009
- Status
- Precedential