Fifth Circuit Reverses Court Order to Axe Damages in Braid Case

Sufficient evidence exists to support a jury’s $1.3 million in damages awarded to a synthetic braid company that said a competitor infringed its trademark, the Fifth Circuit ruled.

A jury could have reasonably concluded that I&I Hair Corp. experienced significant growth until a competitor, Beauty Plus Trading Company Inc., introduced its “infringing products,” the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled Sept. 5, reversing the district court in part.

In 2019, after I&I alleged Beauty Plus improperly used I&I’s mark “EZBRAID,” the two hair products companies reached a settlement, the court said.

But after Beauty Plus continued to ...