Trademark case: Semas v. Chemetall US, Inc., USA

A Ninth Circuit panel upheld a ruling a trademark claim was barred based on res judicata and a fee award based on “forum shopping” and “unprofessional conduct.”

A Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld a district court’s decision to dismiss a trademark infringement case brought by Metalast Inc. and its principal David Semas (collectively Semas) against manufacturers and distributors for Chemeon Surface Technology LLC as precluded based on a prior case, while upholding an award of attorney fees against Semas and his attorney (Semas v. Chemetall US, Inc., No. 24-6584 (9th Cir. Sep. 18, 2026)).

Case date: 22 September 2026
Case number: No. 24-6584
Court: United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

A full summary of this case has been published on Kluwer IP Law