Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com.
Help support the publication of case reports on MoreLaw
Doctor's Best, Inc. v. Nature's Way Products, LLC
Date: 07-19-2025
Case Number: 8:23-CR-766
Judge: Kenly Kiya Kato
Court: United States District Court for the Central District of California (Los Angeles County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: Warren Bleeker and John Carson
Defendant's Attorney: Aaron Olejniczak, Chris Liro, Peter Garrell
Description:
Los Angeles and Glendale, California and Milwaukee, Wisconsin intellectual property lawyers represented the parties in a declaratory judgment and trademark infringement case.
Nature's Way owned the U.S. trademark "Nature's
Way†for use on its nutritional supplements. Doctor's Best,
a competitor, developed a new line of branded supplements,
"Nature's Day,†and sought a U.S. trademark. The
"Nature's Day†mark appeared on goods that were
manufactured and transported in the United States but were
exclusively sold and marketed to consumers abroad.
Abitron Austria GmbH v. Hetronic International, Inc.,
600 U.S. 412 (2023), holds that the trademark infringement
provisions of the Lanham Act are not extraterritorial and
extend only to claims where the claimed infringing use in
commerce is domestic.
The district court applied Abitron's extraterritoriality framework to
determine which of Doctor's Best's activities were
actionable under the Lanham Act. The only actionable (i.e.,
domestic) conduct was the U.S. transport of Doctor's Best's
Nature's Day products. The district court
applied the Sleekcraft factors in concluding that
Nature's Way could not show a likelihood of consumer
confusion as to this conduct.
Nature's Way owned the U.S. trademark "Nature's
Way†for use on its nutritional supplements. Doctor's Best,
a competitor, developed a new line of branded supplements,
"Nature's Day,†and sought a U.S. trademark. The
"Nature's Day†mark appeared on goods that were
manufactured and transported in the United States but were
exclusively sold and marketed to consumers abroad.
Abitron Austria GmbH v. Hetronic International, Inc.,
600 U.S. 412 (2023), holds that the trademark infringement
provisions of the Lanham Act are not extraterritorial and
extend only to claims where the claimed infringing use in
commerce is domestic.
The district court applied Abitron's extraterritoriality framework to
determine which of Doctor's Best's activities were
actionable under the Lanham Act. The only actionable (i.e.,
domestic) conduct was the U.S. transport of Doctor's Best's
Nature's Day products. The district court
applied the Sleekcraft factors in concluding that
Nature's Way could not show a likelihood of consumer
confusion as to this conduct.
Outcome:
Affirmed
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments:
About This Case
What was the outcome of Doctor's Best, Inc. v. Nature's Way Products, LLC?
The outcome was: Affirmed
Which court heard Doctor's Best, Inc. v. Nature's Way Products, LLC?
This case was heard in United States District Court for the Central District of California (Los Angeles County), CA. The presiding judge was Kenly Kiya Kato.
Who were the attorneys in Doctor's Best, Inc. v. Nature's Way Products, LLC?
Plaintiff's attorney: Warren Bleeker and John Carson. Defendant's attorney: Aaron Olejniczak, Chris Liro, Peter Garrell.
When was Doctor's Best, Inc. v. Nature's Way Products, LLC decided?
This case was decided on July 19, 2025.