NFT Litigation Round-Up | Ingram Yuzek Gainen Carroll & Bertolotti ... - JD Supra

NFT Litigation Round-Up | Ingram Yuzek Gainen Carroll & Bertolotti … – JD Supra

Though we may be experiencing Crypto Winter, litigation in the NFT space is definitely heating up! While you may be familiar with some of the lawsuits described below from our previous posts, this article presents a compilation of recent lawsuits that have been filed in the NFT arena.

Friel v. Dapper Labs, Inc. et al, 1: 21-cv-05837 (S.D.N.Y.)

Lead plaintiff Gary Leuis, and named plaintiff John Austin, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, brought this class action lawsuit against defendants Dapper Labs and its CEO, Roham Gharegozlou, for operating an application called NBA Top Shot that allegedly promoted, offered, and sold securities known as NBA Top Shot Moments (“Moments”), throughout the United States, in violation of federal securities laws.

First announced in July 2019 as a joint venture between Dapper Labs, the NBA and the NBA Players Association, NBA Top Shot is a platform built on Dapper Labs’ Flow blockchain that allows investors to purchase Moments. Moments are NFTs of basketball cards that depict video clips of highlights from NBA games. Plaintiffs allege that since June 15, 2020, Defendants sold the Moments NFTs as unregistered securities in violation of federal law.

Under Section 2(a)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, the definition of a “security” includes an “investment contract.” The determination of whether a particular offering qualifies as an investment contract – and, in turn, a security – is governed by the three-prong test set forth in SEC v. W.J. Howey Co., 328 U.S. 293 (1946). Under Howey, an offering is an investment contract where there is (i) an investment of money; (ii) in a common enterprise; (iii) with the expectation of profits to be derived solely from the efforts of others. Plaintiffs argue that Moments are securities due to the way Dapper Labs structures and sells Moments to investors and further allege that purchasers of Moments are entirely reliant on the managerial efforts of Dapper Labs for their potential profits.

On August 31, 2022, the Defendants moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that basketball cards are collectibles, and the law rejects the idea that collectibles are securities.

Hermès International and Hermès of Paris, Inc. v. Mason Rothschild, 1: 22-cv-00384 (S.D.N.Y)

In December 2021, defendant Mason Rothschild created digital images of faux-fur-covered versions of the luxury Birkin handbags of plaintiffs Hermès International and Hermès of Paris, Inc. (collectively, ” Hermès “). Rothschild titled these images “MetaBirkins” and sold them using NFTs. In response, Hermès filed a complaint claiming trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and cybersquatting.

It’s no dispute that Hermès owns trademark rights in the Hermès and Birkin marks as well as trade dress rights in the Birkin handbag design.

Hermès argues that Rothschild used the “MetaBirkins” mark, in commerce, to brand a product line, and to attract public attention and signify source. See 15 U.S.C. § 1127 (noting that use in commerce includes when the mark “is placed in any manner on the goods or their containers or the displays associated therewith or on the tags or labels affixed thereto, or if the nature of the goods makes such placement impracticable, then on documents associated with the goods or their sale”).

Rothschild argues that because he used “MetaBirkins” as the title of artwork — the digital images of the fur-covered Birkin bags — and not as a source identifier of his products, his use of Hermès’s mark is therefore entitled to First Amendment protection. Rothschild further argues that his marketing and sale of the “MetaBirkins” NFTs is not copyright infringement because he is using the “MetaBirkins” trademark in noncommercial speech, that use of the trademark has some artistic relevance, and the use of the trademark does not explicitly mislead as to the source or content of the work.

On May 18, 2022, the Court denied Rothschild’s motion to dismiss on the basis that Hermès’s allegations that he was using its trademarks in a way that is not artistically relevant and that the title of the artwork “explicitly misled” the public into thinking the NFTs were associated with Hermès, created a factual dispute.

The highly anticipated trial began in New York on Monday, January 30, 2023.

Miramax, LLC v. Quentin Tarantino et al., 2: 21-cv-08979 (C.D. Cal.)

On November 16, 2021, Miramax, LLC filed a Complaint asserting claims for breach of contract, copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and unfair competition against Defendants Tarantino, VRI, and others, in a lawsuit regarding NFTs related to the motion picture Pulp Fiction. The Pulp Fiction NFTs provided access to digital copies of portions of the original, hand-annotated screenplay for Pulp Fiction

In 1993 and 1994, Miramax Film Corp. and Tarantino entered into a series of agreements governing their respective rights in and to Pulp Fiction.

Miramax alleged that the agreements granted to Miramax all rights in and to the motion picture, including the right to distribute it in all media now or hereafter known, and excluding only a set of limited “Reserved Rights” retained by Tarantino. Miramax asserted that the development, marketing, and sale of the Pulp Fiction NFTs infringed its rights under those agreements.

Tarantino and VRI denied the allegations, claiming Tarantino has always reserved all print publishing rights in his screenplay (including in electronic form) and may therefore develop, market, and sell the NFTs. By and through his agreements with Miramax Film Corp., Tarantino provided Miramax Film Corp. only with certain limited rights; that he reserved to himself all publishing rights in his screenplay; that he has published the screenplay for years without complaint from Miramax; and that he has the right to publish digital copies of his screenplay using and through the sale and distribution of NFTs. Ta