[E-trademarks] Corsearch sending takedown notices for TM infringement: How is this not UPL?
Kevin Grierson
kgrierson at cm.law
Tue May 14 12:11:57 EDT 2024
I don’t want to go too far down into the weeds on this one opinion, but it seems clear that the non-IL attorney was not holding himself out as admitted in IL. If a non-lawyer can do something and it’s not UPL, I am not certain how a lawyer not admitted in the jurisdiction doing the same thing would be UPL. You don’t get to the exceptions under 5.5 unless the contemplated action constitutes the practice of law, right?
Kevin Grierson
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From: trachtenbergm at gtlaw.com <trachtenbergm at gtlaw.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 12:02 PM
To: Kevin Grierson <kgrierson at cm.law>; e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com
Subject: RE: Corsearch sending takedown notices for TM infringement: How is this not UPL?
EXTERNAL EMAIL
Kevin,
I think the key fact in the decision below was that the out of state lawyer sent the letter in her capacity as a lawyer and this opinion deals with lawyers practicing law in jurisdictions where they are not licensed to practice. I don’t think this applies to intermediaries that don’t claim to be lawyers. Taking this to the logical extreme it would mean that companies could not send demand letters on their own behalf without a lawyer.
To be clear, I am sure the demand your client received is total nonsense and I see these all the time from brand protection companies containing completely specious claims which I think can create liability in other ways (which I tell them) and I am just trying to clarify this one point.
Best regards,
Marc H. Trachtenberg
Shareholder
Chair, Internet, Domain Name, e-Commerce and Social Media Practice
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From: Kevin Grierson <kgrierson at cm.law<mailto:kgrierson at cm.law>>
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 10:54 AM
To: Trachtenberg, Marc H. (Shld-Chi-IP-Tech) <trachtenbergm at gtlaw.com<mailto:trachtenbergm at gtlaw.com>>; e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>
Subject: RE: Corsearch sending takedown notices for TM infringement: How is this not UPL?
It may vary by state, but a quick look at online UPL opinions shows that at least some jurisdictions consider the sending of demand letters to the practice of law. See https://www.isba.org/sites/default/files/ethicsopinions/23-01.pdf<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.isba.org/sites/default/files/ethicsopinions/23-01.pdf__;!!DUT_TFPxUQ!F2THF0GA_HS1s2oN-g_ZxJcxGv-lh_0ojvjyBcssG83CAsH1PZCp5Ii2e_Vc5fi7ylLCEIAnFBgvovamvf_UCw$> (dealing with an attorney not admitted in IL).
Kevin Grierson
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From: trachtenbergm at gtlaw.com<mailto:trachtenbergm at gtlaw.com> <trachtenbergm at gtlaw.com<mailto:trachtenbergm at gtlaw.com>>
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 11:46 AM
To: e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>
Cc: Kevin Grierson <kgrierson at cm.law<mailto:kgrierson at cm.law>>
Subject: RE: Corsearch sending takedown notices for TM infringement: How is this not UPL?
EXTERNAL EMAIL
Is sending a trademark violation notice or demand letter the practice of law?
Marc H. Trachtenberg
Shareholder
Chair, Internet, Domain Name, e-Commerce and Social Media Practice
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
77 West Wacker Drive | Suite 3100 | Chicago, IL 60601
T +1 312.456.1020
M +1 773.677.3305
trac at gtlaw.com<mailto:trachtenbergm at gtlaw.com> | www.gtlaw.com<http://www.gtlaw.com/> | View GT Biography <https://www.gtlaw.com/en/professionals/t/trachtenberg-marc-h>
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From: E-trademarks <e-trademarks-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks-bounces at oppedahl-lists.com>> On Behalf Of Kevin Grierson via E-trademarks
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 10:31 AM
To: for trademark practitioners <e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com<mailto:e-trademarks at oppedahl-lists.com>>
Cc: Kevin Grierson <kgrierson at cm.law<mailto:kgrierson at cm.law>>
Subject: [E-trademarks] Corsearch sending takedown notices for TM infringement: How is this not UPL?
*EXTERNAL TO GT*
My client got a takedown notice from Corsearch today on behalf of a non-US third party, claiming that my client was using the third party’s mark (which was very odd for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that the mark my client is supposed to be infringing doesn’t appear anywhere on the client’s website as Corsearch claims).
Apart from the fact that the claim is complete bullshit, it seems very odd to me that Corsearch is sending cease and desist notices making legal claims on behalf of third parties. Is there some exception to the UPL rules I’m not aware of? They provided a POA, but to my knowledge a POA doesn’t give the party receiving the power to right to practice law on behalf of its client. Otherwise there’d be no need to have a law license to represent people in legal matters.
kwg
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