Captain Abdurrahman Korkmaz, 37, pleaded guilty today to a two-count information charging him with violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and obstructing proceedings. Korkmaz, a Turkish national, was the captain of the PS Dream, a Panama-flagged motor tanker. The two related companies that operated the PS Dream pleaded guilty last month to environmental crimes.
In the recent case of Bart et al v Slocumb (2-21-cv-01771, Eastern District Louisiana, 26 May 2022), a plaintiff survived a defendant's motion to dismiss where the plaintiff alleged that the defendant had purchased advertisement space .
A US court has found a defendant to be “purposely and intentionally deceptive and misleading” after buying advertisement space under a trademarked term, even though the goods advertised were not infringing. Such rulings are inconsistent across the United States; however, there is enough precedent for brands to take note.