Indiana Intellectual Property Law News
South Bend, Indiana – Indiana trademark attorneys for Agdia Inc. of Elkhart, Indiana sued in the Northern District of Indiana alleging that Jun Q. Xia and AC Diagnostics, Inc. of Fayetteville, Arkansas infringed the trademark AGDIA®, which has been registered as United States Trademark Registration No. 1747994.
For over 30 years, Plaintiff Agdia has been in the business of supplying testing, test kits, and associated products and services related to the presence of pathogens or quality factors in agricultural products. Agdia has sued a former employee, Jun Q. Xia, alleging violations of federal and Indiana intellectual property law. AC Diagnostics, a competing enterprise formed by Xia, has also been named as a defendant in this lawsuit.
Agdia contends that Defendants have been unlawfully using its trademarked name. Among the claims is that Xia has hidden the Agdia trademark followed by the phrase “plant diagnostics,” in the meta tags of nearly every product page associated with the AC Diagnostics website. Agdia asserts that, as an example, the “Company Profiles” section of the AC Diagnostics website, available at http://www.acdiainc.com/Comprofil.htm, appears upon first glance to provide nothing more than company information. However, if the page is printed, Agdia states that it reveals more text at the bottom of the document, hidden as white text on a white background.
Agdia also asserts that, through the AC Diagnostics website, Xia is deceptively and unfairly trading on Agdia’s name by hiding that name, followed by the phrase “plant diagnostics,” in the meta tags of nearly every product page associated with that site. Agdia contends that no fewer than 200 separate URLs from the Defendants’ website use the Agdia name deceptively.
Agdia finally cites the name of AC Diagnostic’s webpage as deceptive, claiming that “acdiainc,” which is used within www.acdiainc.com, AC Diagnostic’s website, is just one letter off from Agdia’s legal name, “Agdia Inc.” Defendants are accused of using this web address with the bad faith intent to profit from the Agdia trademark.
In a five-count complaint, filed by Indiana trademark lawyers for Agdia, Defendants are accused of willful, intentional, and unauthorized use of the Agdia trademark that is unlawful under federal law as well as Indiana state law.
Plaintiff Agdia asks the court to enjoin Defendants from using the Agdia mark; to cancel the domain www.acdiainc.com or transfer it to Agdia; for damages, including treble damages; and for attorneys’ fees and costs.
The case was assigned to Judge Jon E. DeGuilio and Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein in the Northern District of Indiana and assigned Case No. 3:15-cv-00075-JED-CAN.