Casana Sues Again Over Valencia Trade Dress

This time around, the Canadian furniture company formed from Palliser's casegoods division, Casana Furniture Co., Ltd., has asserted its alleged trade dress rights in its Valencia collection against Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc.'s Kira Series. The complaint does not specify which items of furniture purportedly include trade dress that identifies the piece as emanating from Casana. The complaint, Case No. 08-cv-908, was filed December 16, 2008 in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina and alleges statutory and common law trade dress infringement as well as statutory and common law unfair and deceptive trade practices. Casana is represented by attorneys in Alston & Bird's Charlotte, North Carolina office. Ashely has not yet been served with the complaint and summons.

Casana previously asserted its trade dress rights in the Valencia collection against Coaster Company of America (previously reported on by this blog on Oct. 19, 2008). In that case, Coaster has moved to transfer the case to the Central District of California. The motion is currently pending, awaiting Coaster's reply brief. In that case, Casana also asserts infringement of a design patent.