MANHATTAN (CN) - Thomas Publishing, which publishes industrial directories, claims two Michigan companies and the man who runs them conducted an "elaborate scam" in which they sent email ads and created a Web site "designed to appear as if they originated from Thomas in an effort to lure Thomas customers into doing business with defendants."
Thomas claims this violated a 2006 settlement agreement with defendants Industrial Quick Search, Meiresonne & Associates and Michael Meiresonne.
Thomas claims the defendants "have resumed their practice of infringing Thomas's intellectual property rights" to steal its customers. It claims the defendants - all of which operate out of Grand Rapids - bought keywords through Google's AdWords program to steer business to themselves, and sent emails to customer that did not mention their own company name, but "displayed the Thomas designation ... to make it appear as though the messages originated from Thomas."
Thomas demands punitive damages for trademark violations, false advertising, unfair competition, misappropriation, unfair competition and palming off and tortious interference with business. It is represented by James Rittinger with Satterlee Stephens & Burke.
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