Furniture Rental Firm Can’t Shake Manufacturer’s Trademark Suit

A California event furniture rental company failed to escape a manufacturer’s trade dress lawsuit accusing the business of taking its product designs to another supplier to create knockoffs.

Modern Event Furniture’s lawsuit sufficiently alleges its designs qualify for trade dress rights—which protect the look and feel of a product or packaging that indicates a seller—because the complaint demonstrates the designs are nonfunctional and distinctive, Magistrate Judge Jeremy D. Peterson of the US District Court of the Eastern District of California said in a Monday order denying Sacramento Event Co.'s motion to dismiss.

Peterson pointed to MEF’s alleged nonfunctional features including ...