Court Ends Valvoline Trademark Infringement Suit Over V Logo

Valvoline LLC doesn’t have the jurisdiction to continue pursuing trademark infringement claims against its former global products business, a federal court said.

The vehicle maintenance service’s claims don’t belong in federal court since they arise from a trademark co-existence agreement rather than the Lanham Act, the US District Court for the Southern District of New York said in a Thursday opinion dismissing the case without prejudice. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein declined to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over Valvoline’s state-law claims, but noted the parties “will not face undue hardship by re-filing in New York state court.”