The Legal Tug-of-War: Telegram vs. Lantah Over GRAM Trademark

The Trademark Tango

In a rather twisty turn of events, Telegram Messenger Inc has decided to pull the plug on its high-profile lawsuit against Lantah LLC, the company tussling over the ‘GRAM’ trademark for their cryptocurrency. It’s a bit like a soap opera but with more lawyers and fewer dramatic slow-motion runs. So what exactly transpired? Let’s take a closer look!

The Judge’s Ruling

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer played the role of referee in this legal showdown, ultimately ruling that Telegram would need to cover the reasonable attorney fees for Lantah. That’s right, folks, it’s like being forced to buy the popcorn when you invite someone over to watch a movie you picked out. The catch? Lantah has yet to submit proper records for their legal expenses, meaning the two parties will have to hash out a reasonable sum before their next court tête-à-tête.

Dismissed Without Prejudice

Adding an extra layer of intrigue, the judge dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice, which means that Telegram retains the right to come back to the court with claims over the GRAM trademark anytime in the future. It’s like saying, “You can’t fire me, I quit!” but in legal terms. This verdict also left Lantah’s request for a dismissal with prejudice in the dust.

The Timeline of Events

This saga started back in late December 2017 when Telegram announced ambitious plans to bootstrap a blockchain network via GRAM tokens. Meanwhile, Lantah had its own designs on the GRAM name, launching its plans just six months prior in June 2017. Talk about a race against time!

• December 2017: Telegram announces its GRAM tokens.
• June 2017: Lantah claims it’s first!
• 2018: Trademark application submitted by Lantah.

Counterclaims and Injunctions

The plot thickened when Lantah fired back with counterclaims in June 2018, alleging it had the upper hand on the trademark. However, the judge saw things differently, granting Telegram a preliminary injunction that barred Lantah from using the trademark. The court took note of Telegram’s head start in utilizing the name commercially; sometimes it’s just about who gets to the finish line first!