Defendant George Collett wrongly used T-Mobile’s trademarks in selling T-Mobile SIM cards and airtime without its permission.
Western District Judge Ronald Leighton came to that conclusion April 23 when he granted summary judgment to T-Mobile on its Lanham Act claims and permanently enjoined Mr. Collett from using its trademarks or selling any of its branded products.
The injunction isn’t surprising, given the court’s description of Mr. Collett’s activity:
“Defendant falsely advertised and promoted through interstate commerce that he was an authorized T–Mobile dealer selling genuine T–Mobile products and services. Mr. Collett testified that he sold T–Mobile Phones and SIM cards on eBay and Craigslist, purchased T–Mobile SIM cards, pin numbers and activation codes, posted a sign in his store saying ‘unlimited T–Mobile service $50 a month’ and advertised that he was a T–Mobile dealer. Defendant also improperly advertised his store as a T–Mobile store with an unlimited T–Mobile service plan for $45 per month without a credit check. These representations were false, as the Court finds that George Collett’s store and the T–Mobile products and service plans he offered were not sanctioned by T–Mobile in any way.”
The court also awarded T-Mobile $349,481.64 in damages and found the case was sufficiently “exceptional” that it justified an award of attorney’s fees — in part because Mr. Collett “refused to cooperate in discovery, repeatedly violated Court Orders and continued to violate” the court’s preliminary injunction.