Court Sides With Trader Joe’s In Suit Over Alleged Knockoff

SAN FRANCISCO — A U.S. court has the authority to hear a trademark lawsuit by grocery chain Trader Joe's against a man who purchased the company's products and resold them in Canada at "Pirate Joe's," a store designed to mimic a real Trader Joe's, a federal appeals court said Friday.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a district court's decision to dismiss California-based Trader Joe's federal trademark claims.

The district court in Washington state said it lacked authority to hear those claims because the defendant's alleged trademark violations occurred in Canada and Trader Joe's had failed to clearly explain how they affected U.S. commerce.

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