Laches, Acquiescence, And Trademark Injunctions

Who Should Be Upstream Without a (Greek) Paddle? 

On May 8, a long time manufacturer of ceremonial paddles marketed to fraternities and sororities filed a petition for certiorari with the US Supreme Court seeking relief from an injunction barring him from using Greek organizations' trademarks in his advertising. Thomas Kenneth Abraham d/b/a Paddle Tramps Manufacturing Co. v. Alphi Chi Omega, case no. 12-1341 (2013). The lower courts applied the legal doctrines of  laches and acquiescence to find that the Greeks waited much too long to assert their rights and, as a result, could not collect damages for trademark infringement. However, they did allow a permanent injunction against future advertising by the Company using the Greek organizations' trademarks. Since there is a significant split among the circuit courts on the issue of when these two legal doctrines bar a trademark injunction, this case may be ripe for Supreme Court review. So, what will the outcome of