Sprint puts an end to entrepreneurs’ efforts to revive NEXTEL brand

Plaintiff Sprint (owner of the NEXTEL brand) sued defendant business owners, asserting claims for trademark infringement, cybersquatting and counterfeiting. Beginning in 2016, defendants – apparently believing that Sprint had abandoned the NEXTEL mark – began selling cheap cell phones branded as Nextel devices, and operating websites lauding the brand’s “revival”. The question of defendants’ liability…