Chrysler Group LLC v. Moda Group LLC

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

863 F. Supp. 2d 711 (E.D. Mich. 2012)

Relevant factsFree

Chrysler (plaintiff) ran a widely watched 2011 Super Bowl commercial ending with "IMPORTED FROM DETROIT" and began selling branded T-shirts that sold well, but the very next day, Detroit merchandiser Pure Detroit (defendant) began selling its own "IMPORTED FROM DETROIT" T-shirts; Chrysler sued for trademark infringement and sought a preliminary injunction.

IssueFree

Whether a geographically descriptive advertising slogan can acquire trademark-protectable secondary meaning within the extremely brief period between its debut and a competitor's use of the same phrase.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

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