Just last Friday, the two Voltage Pictures, LLC Oregon State Trademark lawsuits pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Oregon were removed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. These cases involve the motion picture Dallas Buyers Club.
The new District Court Case Nos. are 6:14-cv-00812-MC (which relates to the state court Case No. 14C13823), and 6:14-cv-00816-TC (which relates to the state court Case No. 14C13824). The removal proceeding was initiated by attorney Morgan E. Pietz on behalf of some of his clients.
As this is a new development, Troll Defense will continue to monitor the proceedings and the form the cases take. We understand that Voltage Pictures will contest the removal and seek to have the cases remanded to the state court. One can wonder, if the cases do remain in federal court, whether Voltage will later seek to take advantage of the federal court’s jurisdiction to amend the complaints and add claims under the Copyright Act, or the federal Lanham Act, which includes provisions for the protection of registered trademarks.