Court Keeps Limit on Toyota’s Use of ‘Lexus’

An appellate court Monday extended an order halting Toyota Motor Corp.’s advertising campaign for its Lexus car while reviewing a trademark infringement case with Mead Data Corp., which markets a research service called Lexis.

Charles Faruki, representing Mead, asked a three-member panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals to uphold a trial court ruling that Toyota infringed on Mead’s trademark for its computerized legal research service.

The appellate court extended the temporary order, issued Jan. 5, which halts Toyota’s national ad campaign for Lexus.

But the panel said the car company can continue to use the Lexus name until the appeal of the matter is decided.