World Trade Centers Assoc., Inc. v. World Trade Ill., No. 14 C 6237, Slip Op. (N.D. Ill. Jun. 15, 2015) (Darrah, J.).
Judge Darrah granted plaintiff World Trade Centers Association (“WTCA”) contempt motion in this Lanham Act dispute involving WTCA’s World Trade Center marks. In a previous suit, the parties entered a consent decree in which defendant World Trade Illinois (“WTI”) agreed to cease use of WTCA’s including no longer using the terms “African World Trade Center Institute”, “World Trade Illinois”, and WTI, as well as certain domain names and Twitter handles.
WTI failed to respond to WTCA’s contempt motion and WTCA presented evidence of WTI’s continued use of the enjoined phrases, domain names and Twitter handles. The Court, therefore, held WTI in contempt, ordering WTI to fully comply with the consent decree and, beginning ten days after the ruling, to pay a daily $1,000 fine until it complies. The Court also awarded WTCA its attorney’s fees and costs.