Metal Jeans, Inc. v. Metal Sport, Inc., No. 19-55923 (9th Cir. 2021)
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Metal Jeans, an apparel brand and owner of the non-stylized "METAL" trademark, filed an infringement claim against Metal Sport, a powerlifting brand with a similar but stylized mark. The district court denied both parties' merits motions because material facts remained in dispute, but granted Metal Sport's separate motion for summary judgment on whether Metal Jeans was barred from pressing its infringement claim by the equitable doctrine of unclean hands. In doing so, the district court rejected Metal Jeans' counter-defense that Metal Sport also acted with unclean hands.
In a separate memorandum disposition filed simultaneously with this opinion, the Ninth Circuit concluded that the district court improperly granted summary judgment against Metal Jeans. The panel wrote here to resolve an issue of first impression: the standard of review the panel employs when a district court concludes that a party has acted with unclean hands. The panel held that the appropriate standard of review of a district court's determination to grant summary judgment on the affirmative defense of unclean hands is abuse of discretion. The panel remanded for further proceedings.
Court Description: Trademark The panel affirmed in part and reversed in part the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of the defendant and remanded in a trademark infringement action. Metal Jeans, Inc., an apparel brand and owner of the non- stylized trademark “METAL,” brought an infringement claim against Metal Sport, Inc., a powerlifting brand with a similar but stylized mark. The district court denied both parties’ motions for summary judgment on the merits but granted Metal Sport’s separate motion, concluding that Metal Jeans came before the court with unclean hands. In doing so, the district court rejected Metal Jeans’ counter- defense that Metal Sport, too, acted with unclean hands. The panel held that when reviewing a grant of summary judgment on an unclean hands defense in a trademark infringement case, the correct standard of review is abuse of discretion. In a separate memorandum disposition, the panel concluded that district court improperly granted summary judgment against Metal Jeans. METAL JEANS V. METAL SPORT 3
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