Fla. Supreme Court Rules Fla. Virtual School Can Sue Rival
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/AP) - Florida's main online school has been given the green light by the Florida Supreme Court to sue over trademark infringement.
On Thursday the court ruled the state-created Florida Virtual School can sue Virginia-based K12 on its own.
Florida Virtual School first sued K12 in 2011. It stated in its lawsuit K12 caused confusion by setting up online education programs with similar names and a similar appearance to its online school.
K12 attorneys countered by saying only the Department of State could sue to enforce state-held trademarks not the school itself.
A federal appeals court asked the state Supreme Court for its opinion on the dispute.
The court ruled unanimously that state law makes it clear that Florida Virtual School is structured in a way so that it can defend its trademarks.
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