$652K Atty TM Sanctions: Judge Rebukes Lawyer in Mic Trade Dress Clash

0
5
$652K Atty TM Sanctions

A California federal judge has ordered attorney Stephen Lobbin to personally cover $652,000 of a hefty $1.8 million sanction levied against his client, Iconic Mars Corp., after the company lost a bruising trade dress infringement fight against Canadian rival Kaotica Corp.

U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo said in a scathing order Monday that Lobbin, of SMLL Avvocati PC, repeatedly twisted the terms of a prior settlement to prop up a “meritless” legal theory—conduct she described as reckless, misleading, and corrosive to courtroom integrity.

From Settlement to Showdown

Iconic Mars launched its 2022 lawsuit seeking a ruling that its “New Comet” microphone didn’t copy the design of Kaotica’s Eyeball device and didn’t breach a 2021 stipulated judgment tied to Iconic’s earlier “Old Comet” model.

Signup for the USA Herald exclusive Newsletter

But in June 2024, a jury found Iconic willfully infringed Kaotica’s trade dress. Judge Bencivengo later confirmed Kaotica had not interfered with Iconic’s sales, further weakening Iconic’s position.