U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, Direct Niche, LLC v. Via Varejo S/A

Jurisdiction: Trademark infringement in a foreign country: Unfair competition in a foreign country:

In Bulova Watch, the Supreme Court addressed the extraterritorial reach of the Lanham Act where infringing conduct occurs in a foreign country. See Bulova Watch, 344 U.S. at 281 (“The issue is whether a United States District Court has jurisdiction to award relief to an American corporation against acts of trademark infringement and unfair competition consummated in a foreign country by a citizen and resident of the United States.”); see also Int’l Café, S.A.L. v. Hard Rock Café Int’l (U.S.A.), Inc., 252 F.3d 1274, 1278 (11th Cir. 2001). This Court applied Bulova Watch in International Café where we held that “the Lanham Act confers jurisdiction over extraterritorial disputes involving trademark infringement and unfair competition when: 1) Defendant is a United States corporation; 2) the foreign activity had substantial effects in the United States; and 3) exercising jurisdiction would not interfere with the sovereignty of another nation.” See Int’l Café, S.A.L., 252 F.3d at 1278. Thus, the “substantial effects” test derived from Bulova Watch on which Direct Niche relies concerns the jurisdiction of United States courts over trademark infringement occurring in a foreign country. This case does not involve extraterritorial infringement.

(U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, August 3, 2018, Direct Niche, LLC v. Via Varejo S/A, Docket 17-13937, District Judge Howard, sitting by designation, published)

Les cours de district fédérales sont compétentes pour connaître des actions en violation du droit à la marque et en concurrence déloyale s’agissant d’actes commis hors territoire U.S., à condition que la partie défenderesse soit une personne morale U.S., que l’activité à l’étranger déploie des effets substantiels aux Etats-Unis, et que nulle interférence avec la souveraineté d’un autre pays n’est à craindre.