Finished. Fini. Finito. Any of these words can now accurately describe language software maker Rosetta Stone Inc.’s trademark infringement case against Google Inc.
In 2009, Rosetta Stone sued Google for trademark infringement claiming the search engine company sold Rosetta Stone trademarks to third-party advertisers for use as search keywords. The software maker said Google’s actions resulted in users who searched for Rosetta Stone products being redirected to competitors and makers of counterfeit Rosetta Stone software.
A district court dismissed the case in 2010, reasoning that Google’s selling of keywords wasn’t likely to confuse consumers. But the 4th Circuit revived the case in April after hearing testimony from consumers who accidentally purchased counterfeit Rosetta Stone products because they were confused by Google’s sponsored links.
Yesterday, both companies agreed to settle all claims and dismiss the three-year-old case. The companies did not specify the terms of the settlement. In a joint statement, they said they plan “to meaningfully collaborate to combat online ads for counterfeit goods and prevent the misuse and abuse of trademarks on the Internet.”
For more recent stories about trademark infringement cases, read:
Village Voice sues Yelp over use of the words “best of”
Louboutin partially wins case against YSL
Apple pays $60 million to settle iPad trademark dispute
Guitarist says NBA star Kevin Durant stole his “Durantula” nickname
