A Swedish medical company is suing a New York based tactical equipment company for alleged trademark infringement.
Plaintiff Mölnylcke Health Care AB is a leading international medical solutions company headquartered in Sweden. Since 2005, it has sold medical dressings, bandages and fixatives under its MEPITAC trademark in the United States. Defendant SZY Holdings LLC began selling similar products under the MEDITAC name beginning in 2019, court documents state.
“Defendant’s activities are clearly intended to create consumer confusion as to the source of Defendant’s bandages, tapes, and wound dressings offered under the Infringing Marks and create a false association between Defendant’s infringing medical products and Mölnlycke’s medical products in the minds of the consuming public,” Mölnylcke stated.
SZY Holdings initially trademarked its MEDITAC logo in 2014 for use on military backpacks and bags. However, in 2019, it applied to trademark MEDITAC as a standard character mark, expanding the goods covered under its branding to include adhesive bandages, gauze, burn dressings and first aid kits. Mölnlycke partially opposed the defendant’s application, claiming it would bring the companies’ products into direct competition. This proceeding is currently pending before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, court documents state.
“Defendant’s acts of trademark infringement are particularly egregious in light of the fact that Defendant has expanded and developed its willfully infringing products and marketing after being put on notice of Mölnlycke’s rights in the MEDITAC Mark through the pending opposition proceeding,” Mölnylcke stated.
The plaintiff is seeking damages and to enjoin SZY Holdings from continuing to use the alleged infringing marks on all products related to bandages, first aid kits, medical tapes, wound closure strips, and burn and wound dressings.
Mölnylcke is represented by Duane Morris LLP.
