Eagles Ltd. v. Hotel California Baja, LLC: Any Time of Year, You Can Find Infringement Here
Published: June 8, 2017
Recently, Eagles Ltd. (the “Eagles”), the entity in control of legendary rock band The Eagles’ business affairs, filed a lawsuit against Hotel California Baja, LLC for trademark infringement. While I’m sure most of us are familiar with the Eagles’ song Hotel California, it may come as a surprise to most trademark aficionados that the Eagles have never registered HOTEL CALIFORNIA with the USPTO. Although this is shocking, and many intellectual property practitioners might even say reckless, those reactions beg the question: Is federal registration an absolute necessity to enforcement?
Federal registration is undoubtedly beneficial, and most practitioners would advise registration as the prudent course of action, but it is by no means an absolute necessity. The Lanham Act is protective of all trademarks that a proponent can establish having used in the United States, whether registered or not. While I wouldn’t personally advise my clients to proceed without a registration, as there is significant downside, this should come as relief to some entrepreneurs, particularly start-ups, who may not quite have the revenue needed to pursue trademark registration for their marks. But such an election should not be made without first consulting competent counsel to obtain a complete understanding of the disadvantages of proceeding with an unregistered trademark. For example, one such disadvantage is that unregistered trademarks are geographically restricted to the area where the mark is utilized. After all, we don’t all have national and international distribution like the Eagles, giving rise to trademark protection that is equally broad in scope.
In any event, the Eagles have filed their lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, which is based in Los Angeles. Interestingly enough, the Hotel California Baja is based, as its name implies, in Baja California, Mexico. Although this could seemingly pose a jurisdictional problem, the Hotel California Baja is a registered California corporation, which, in this instance, makes it subject to the Central District’s jurisdiction. In the lawsuit, the Eagles allege that the Hotel California Baja has engaged in unfair competition and created a false designation of origin to consumers. More specifically, the Eagles allege that through the use of HOTEL CALIFORNIA, the playing of the Eagles’ music in the lobby, and the sale of merchandise self-proclaiming the hotel as “legendary,”[1] the Hotel California Baja has duped consumers into believing that the hotel is somehow associated or otherwise affiliated with the Eagles, or alternatively, that the Eagles sponsor or approve of the hotel’s services and commercial activity. Furthermore, the Eagles have alleged that the Hotel California Baja falsely claims to have served as inspiration for the song. As you might assume from the filing of this action, the Eagles have no such relationship with the Hotel California Baja, and they do not sponsor or approve its activities.
It is also worth noting that there is related litigation pending before the USPTO. Namely, in October 2016, the Eagles opposed the Hotel California Baja’s trademark registration, which was filed in November 2015, on the ground that it creates a likelihood of consumer confusion. Interestingly enough, shortly thereafter, the Eagles finally attempted to register HOTEL CALIFORNIA with the USPTO, but the examining attorney issued an office action refusing registration on the basis of Hotel California Baja’s previously filed application! However, in light of the recently filed federal litigation, both of these matters will likely be stayed.
It will be interesting to see how this dispute is ultimately resolved, whether through settlement or litigation. At this juncture, we do not have enough information to provide an informed analysis of how we believe it may come out, but we will keep an eye on the docket and provide updates when meaningful information becomes available.
[1] The Eagles contend that if the Hotel California is legendary, there can only be one source for that status: the Eagles. Thus, the Eagles contend that this characterization of the Hotel California Baja further exemplifies the false designation of origin.