Inset Systems, Inc. v. Instruction Set, Inc.
United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
937 F.Supp. 161 (D. Conn. 1996)
Inset Systems, Inc. (Inset) (plaintiff), a Connecticut company, held a federal trademark on 'INSET' since 1985. Instruction Set, Inc. (ISI), a Massachusetts company, later registered the domain INSET.com and advertised worldwide over the internet — continuously accessible to all users simultaneously, including at least 10,000 in Connecticut — while also advertising via the toll-free number '1-800-US-INSET.' Inset sued ISI in Connecticut federal court for trademark infringement and related claims; ISI moved to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction.
Whether personal jurisdiction over a nonresident corporate defendant is proper when the defendant advertises in the forum state through an internet domain address and a toll-free phone number.