October 22, 2018
The maker of Splenda sweetener has reached a settlement with the operator of Applebee's and International House of Pancakes to end a trademark lawsuit accusing the restaurants of offering a knockoff sweetener in look-alike yellow packets when customers asked for Splenda.
August 27, 2018
Nearly every jurisdiction recognizes the "common interest" doctrine, an exception to the rule that a disclosure of protected material to a third party triggers a waiver of attorney-client privilege. But courts vary widely in how they interpret interest "commonality" or apply other variables to privilege decisions. Here are four recent decisions to know about the common interest doctrine.
January 19, 2018
An Indiana federal judge Thursday said operators of Applebee's and International House of Pancakes restaurants can't escape a trademark infringement suit from the maker of Splenda alleging the restaurants deceptively offer a knockoff low-calorie sweetener in a similar yellow packet, saying a color may be protected as a trademark.
April 03, 2017
The operators of Applebee's and International House of Pancakes are violating trademark law by deceiving customers into thinking that yellow packet sweeteners at their restaurants are American-made Splenda when in fact they're an inferior foreign knockoff, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Indiana federal court.