Tag: Washington
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Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver Sued for Trademark Infringement
The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America (GIG), a nonprofit consumer-advocacy and food-safety certification group, has filed a lawsuit against celebrity chef Jamie Oliver alleging that his website displays a designation on gluten-free recipes that infringes the group’s trademarks. Gluten Intolerance Grp. of N. Am. V. Jamie Oliver Enters., No. 17-1028 (W.D. Wash., filed July…
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Livestock Associations Sue USDA for COOL Rule Repeal
Two livestock trade associations have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) alleging the agency’s 2016 repeal of marking and labeling regulations violates the Meat Inspection Act and the Tariff Act. Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of Am. v. U.S. Dept of Agric., No. 17-0223 (E.D. Wash., filed June 19, 2017).…
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Consumers File TCPA Lawsuit Against Subway
Two consumers have filed a lawsuit against Subway Sandwich Shops Inc. and T-Mobile USA Inc. alleging the companies sent unsolicited text messages advertising an offer for a free sandwich without first obtaining written consent from the recipients. Rahmany v. T-Mobile USA Inc., No. 16-1416 (W.D. Wash., filed September 6, 2016). The complaint asserts that the…
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EPA Settlement Creates Pesticide-Free Zones in Pacific States to Protect Salmon
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and several conservation groups have agreed to a settlement that limits pesticide use near salmon habitats in three states in a lawsuit accusing the agency of failing to assess the effects of pesticides on salmon despite a 2004 court decision ordering it to consult with National Marine Fisheries Service…
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Confidential Dairy Records in Dispute in Yakima Valley
A federal court in Washington has determined that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did not violate the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in responding to requests for information relating to its investigation of nitrate levels in groundwater and residential drinking water wells in the Lower Yakima Valley. Cmty. Ass’n for Restoration of the Env’t,…
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State AGs Sue 5-Hour ENERGY® Makers for Deceptive Advertising
The state attorneys general (AGs) of Oregon, Vermont and Washington have reportedly filed separate lawsuits against Living Essentials and its parent Innovation Ventures seeking a permanent injunction to stop allegedly misleading and deceptive advertising for 5-hour ENERGY®. According to news sources, other state AGs are expected to bring similar action; some 30 have been investigating the…
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Washington State Rejects GM Labeling
Washington state voters have reportedly rejected a ballot initiative that would have required front-of-package labeling for genetically modified (GM) food products, seeds and other agricultural commodities. According to the Washington Secretary of State, 53 percent of voters ultimately opposed the initiative, which was hotly contested by consumer advocates, food companies, physicians, and farmers in the…
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Claims Narrowed in VitaRain® Beverage Litigation
A federal court in Washington has dismissed without prejudice a number of claims in a putative class action alleging that the producer and seller of a vitamin water product misled consumers by failing to disclose that the product contains caffeine or its relative amount and falsely represents that the product is a “natural tonic” and…