Stockroom Files Trademark Infringement Suit Against Violetrcom

LOS ANGELES—Stockroom filed a lawsuit last month against Violetrcom, which operates the website VioletWands.com, saying the Houston-based company used trademarked phrases to increase sales of its own e-stim devices. The suit, filed Feb. 19 in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, states that Stockroom owns federally registered trademarks for “Neon Wand” and “KinkLab,” and alleges VioletWands.com markets and sells a “KinkeLab Neon Wand” and “Neon Wand—Kengoh” in an effort to create confusion and cheapen Stockroom’s brand. “Defendants have employed Plaintiff’s registered trademarks and confusingly similar versions thereof (e.g., “Kinkelab”) as metadata in their website(s),” the suit reads. The metadata and search engine optimization reportedly helped VioletWands.com generate traffic and/or draw prospective customers from Stockroom.com to their own website, it continued. The suit also alleges the defendants “have published, and continue to publish, untruthful and disparaging statements pertaining to [Stockroom’s] goods.” The lawsuit alleges unfair competition, trademark infringement, trade libel, defamation, dilution and unfair business practices. Stockroom is asking for $1 million in the suit, which has been assigned to District Judge Consuelo B. Marshall.