BEACON FALLS, Conn. — Following a Sept. 4 bench trial establishing Lavatec Laundry Technology Inc. (LLT) as the exclusive owner of the “Lavatec” trademark, a judge has ordered a preliminary injunction preventing the company formerly known as Lavatec Inc. from use of the “Lavatec” name or logo as part of its corporate name, trademark or domain name, as well as in the manufacture, sale, advertising or promotion of products.
The company is prohibited from using the website at www.lavatec.com, “or any variation thereof.”
“It can hardly be doubted that confusion will result when a consumer is faced with [Lavatec Inc.’s] laundry-folding machines bearing a name and mark identical to LLT’s, or with materials related to [Lavatec Inc.’s] laundry-machine servicing business bearing that same name and mark,” U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill writes in the Memorandum of Decision and Injunction Order signed Nov. 13 in Bridgeport, Conn.
“This is another important step in the process and we are pleased with the ruling,” says Mark Thrasher, president of LLT. “It defines for our industry and customers that we will protect the integrity of our trademark and that they can continue to have faith in the commercial laundry equipment purchased from the true Lavatec company.”
Lavatec Inc.’s name has been changed to Voss Laundry Solutions, Bruce Burmann, vice president of sales at Voss, tells American Laundry News.
“Our group is obviously disappointed in the decision of the judge,” he says, and adds that while the company’s name has changed, “the corporate entity, management and employees all remain in place.”
“We will continue to serve the industry professionally as we have for the past 27 years, supplying machinery, parts and service to a variety of customers worldwide,” Burmann says. “We invite you to our future website, vosslaundrysolutions.com, now under construction, for further details and our story. We thank our loyal customers in advance for their continued support.”
The court ruling is available for review here.
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