Troutman Pepper Wins Critical Trademark Dispute Securing Permanent Injunction for Flooring Client

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Troutman Pepper Partner Ben Wagner has notched a mission-critical trademark win on behalf of Guang Tai He Import Export, Inc., a Maryland-based flooring company, securing a permanent injunction from the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

The defendant’s improper federal registration of the generic term “SPC,” which is used industry wide as an acronym for “stone plastic composite” flooring, resulted in more than 16 containers of the plaintiff’s flooring being detained by U.S. Customs for using the term. Wagner filed an ex parte application for temporary restraining order (TRO), seeking preliminary injunctive relief, detailing the potential for irreparable harm to the client’s business. The Court agreed, first granting the TRO and a preliminary injunction, and then the permanent injunction.

“Without the Court’s judgement here, our client risked being run out of business for using a generic term that one individual tried to claim a monopoly on,” Wagner said. “We are pleased by the Court’s swift action to protect our client’s business.”

Troutman Pepper’s nationally recognized Intellectual Property Practice provides the complete range of services for patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets and assists clients with litigation and dispute resolution, licensing, and other transactions. Clients include startups, Fortune 100 companies, academic and research institutes, business incubators, and technology companies in a wide range of industries.

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Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,100 attorneys strategically located in 20+ U.S. cities. The firm’s litigation, transactional, and regulatory practices advise a diverse client base, from startups to multinational enterprises. The firm provides sophisticated legal solutions to clients’ most pressing business challenges, with depth across industry sectors, including energy, financial services, health sciences, insurance, and private equity, among others. Learn more at troutman.com.