Litigation

Community of Christ Wins Preliminary Injunction for Trademark Infringement of Church Name

By H. William Allen et al.

The Western District of Missouri granted a preliminary injunction based on trademark infringement in Community of Christ Copyright Corp. v. Miller, 2007 WL 4333192 (W.D. Mo. 12/7/07).

Community of Christ holds federal trademark registrations for "RLDS" and "Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." Defendants' church is named South Restoration Branch, but they advertised themselves as members of RLDS. The court easily granted the preliminary injunction and rejected the defendants' fair use defense. Contrary to some public opinion, use of trademarks for worshiping God are not automatically fair use.

Full post as published by Arkansas Business Litigation Blog on December 17, 2007 (boomark / email).