Early last month, a Jefferson City-based non-profit organization, Missouri Community Action Network (the plaintiff), that serves and advocates for low-income families filed a lawsuit against National Credit Union Foundation alleging copyright infringement and digital copyright law violations of a welfare simulation product owned by the plaintiff.
The plaintiff claims that it purchased the copyright and all other rights to a welfare simulation kit product, Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS), which has been used by corporations, customer service groups, educators, religious congregations, community organizations, elected officials, health care professionals, and social service agencies.
According to the suit, National Credit Union Foundation had a license agreement with the plaintiff from 2011-2013, which allowed the defendant to use the CAPS kit for credit unions. In 2016, the foundation officially launched a “Life Simulation” kit to help credit union professionals experience the financial struggles of low-income members and to facilitate the development of products, services and resources to help her members which according to the defendant was made bigger and better over the plaintiff CAPS kit and was customized specifically for credit unions.
The plaintiff claim that the defendant created, without permission, a derivative product that was copied from the CAPS kit which has made a massive interest for the defendant and caused the plaintiff damages and unfair competition and bridge in agreement.
The plaintiff is seeking an injunction, damages, and all other remedies as the court may deem fit.
Missouri Community Action Network v. National Credit Union Foundation
| Missouri Western District Court | |
| Judge: | Brian C Wimes |
| Case #: | 2:18-cv-04122 |
| Nature of Suit | Copyrights |
| Cause | Unfair Competition claims for false advertising and trademark infringement |
| Case Filed: | Jun 18, 2018 |
