Grunt Style LLC v. TWD, LLC: Date Argued: January 29th, 2026; Docket Number: 25-1305

Case Summary:Grunt Style LLC v. TWD, LLC arises from a trademark dispute in which TWD, LLC originally sued Grunt Style LLC in the Northern District of Illinois in 2018, alleging that Grunt Style’s use of the military‑themed slogan “THIS WE’LL DEFEND” on apparel infringed TWD’s registered trademark, but Grunt Style counterclaimed that it had prior and superior rights in the slogan and that TWD was in fact infringing Grunt Style’s mark. In the district court, the judge granted partial summary judgment for Grunt Style in April 2022, dismissing all of TWD’s claims and its affirmative defenses, leaving only Grunt Style’s counterclaims for trial. After reassignment, the case proceeded to a bench trial (and related jury proceedings reflected in later orders), and in 2024 the court entered judgment for Grunt Style, finding TWD liable for trademark infringement and unfair competition, canceling TWD’s registration, and ordering TWD to pay Grunt Style approximately 739,500 dollars in profits plus additional relief, including interest and a permanent injunction granted in January 2025.TWD then filed a notice of appeal from the amended judgment, which the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit docketed as appeal No. 25‑1305, challenging the district court’s judgment in favor of Grunt Style. During a preliminary jurisdictional review, the Seventh Circuit observed that the written judgment did not clearly dispose of all claims—specifically, it did not expressly state what happened to TWD’s original claims—so the court ordered briefing on whether the judgment was deficient, leading to a limited remand so that the district court could correct the judgment while the Seventh Circuit retained jurisdiction and consolidated or dismissed a duplicative appeal (No. 25‑1341) stemming from an amended notice of appeal. As of the argument on January 29, 2026, in appeal No. 25‑1305, the case is before the Seventh Circuit on TWD’s challenge to the adverse trademark judgment and remedies entered in favor of Grunt Style, with the central issues including the scope and strength of Grunt Style’s rights in the “THIS WE’LL DEFEND” mark, the sufficiency of evidence supporting the profits award, and procedural questions about finality and completeness of the district court’s judgment.