trademark-infringement

Small New Hampshire Coffee Roaster Wins Legal Victory Over "Charbucks" Name
By Chris Morran on December 29, 2011 4:15 PM   27 Comments
Since August of 1997, the folks at the Black Bear Mico Roastery in New Hampshire have been slinging pebbles at coffee colossus Starbucks over the smaller company's "Charbucks" blend. And in spite of court rulings in favor of the little guy, Daddy Starbucks has continued to fight. But last week, a U.S. District Court in New York may have shut the door on the Seattle java slinger's attempts to rid the world of Charbucks. More »

(EatMoreKale.com)

Chick-Fil-A Threatens Legal Action Against T-Shirt Maker For Encouraging Eating Of Kale
By Chris Morran on November 28, 2011 12:30 PM   180 Comments
If you've lived anywhere near a Chick-fil-A restaurant, you're probably familiar with the billboards and other ads featuring cows and their hoof-painted signs encouraging you to "eat mor chikin," a phrase that's been trademarked by the fast food company. But heaven forbid you use those words in their correct formats to promote the eating of something other than Chick-fil-A. More »

(jusmac.com)

McDonald's In Legal Battle With Houston Mac & Cheese Restaurant Over The Word "Mac"
By Chris Morran on September 22, 2011 12:30 PM   105 Comments
A Houston-area gourmet macaroni and cheese eatery is involved in a trademark battle with fast food behemoth Big Mac because it dared to use the word "mac" in the restaurant's name. More »

Florida Restaurant Sues Wendy's Over "You Can't Fake Fresh" Slogan
By Chris Morran on July 15, 2011 1:15 PM   46 Comments
Many of the trademark infringement stories we cover involve mammoth corporations picking on smaller, unrelated businesses, but this one's a bit different. A small chain of seafood restaurants in Florida has filed a $2 million lawsuit against Wendy's over the use of the phrase "You can't fake fresh." More »

Judge Allows Amazon To Keep Using Appstore Name For Now
By Chris Morran on July 7, 2011 1:15 PM   58 Comments
The legal war between Apple and Amazon over the term "App Store" continues, but a judge has handed the most recent battle to the e-tailer, denying Apple's request for a preliminary injunction against Amazon's online Appstore. More »

Judge: Apple's "App Store" Suit Against Amazon Will Probably Fail
By Chris Morran on June 24, 2011 2:00 PM   98 Comments
It looks like Steve Jobs may have found his Waterloo in his war to defend Apple's application to trademark the phrase "App Store." A federal judge has advised the company that it will likely lose its lawsuit against Amazon.com over the e-tailer's Appstore. More »

Apple Slaps Open Source Start-Up With Cease & Desist Over "App Store"
By Chris Morran on June 22, 2011 1:20 PM   95 Comments
Apple's untiring defense of its application to trademark the phrase "App Store" continues. But this time, the Cupertino Crew isn't squabbling with Microsoft or suing Amazon. No, Apple is going after a small start-up software company you may have never heard about. More »

Newegg Respectfully Disagrees With Best Buy's Claims To "Geek" Trademark
By Chris Morran on June 13, 2011 2:15 PM   70 Comments
Last week, we told you about Best Buy sending a cease and desist letter to Newegg.com over its use of the word "geek" on shirts and other marketing materials and Newegg's ad featuring someone that looks like a Best Buy employee. Well, over the weekend, Newegg posted its response to big blue's allegations. More »

Best Buy Issues Cease & Desist Over Newegg.com's Use Of The Word "Geek"
By Chris Morran on June 9, 2011 3:40 PM   194 Comments
The folks at Best Buy are none too happy with electronics e-tailer Newegg.com. The boys in blue believe that their online competitor stepped over a trademarked line by using the word "geek" and by making fun of inept Best Buy staffers in a TV ad. More »

(Amazon)

Court Says U.S. Polo's Logo Tramples Ralph Lauren Trademark
By Phil Villarreal on June 1, 2011 9:00 AM   53 Comments
According to a ruling by a federal judge, Ralph Lauren Polo has more of a right to an image of a man playing polo than the organization that represents the sport. More »

Wegmans Settles Walgreens Lawsuit Over Not-At-All-Similar "W"
By Chris Morran on April 22, 2011 3:35 PM   37 Comments
Regular readers may remember that Walgreens filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Wegmans last fall over the fact that the two companies' "W"s could maybe, possibly, if you squint, look similar. Well, Wegmans has decided it's cheaper to change some logos than fight a lawsuit, because it has agreed to change the offending W on its store-brand products. More »

(ThinkGeek)

Canned Unicorn Meat Hits Market
By Ben Popken on November 19, 2010 3:00 PM   50 Comments
Just in time for an unforgettable Thanksgiving, canned unicorn meat is here. Yes, this is a real product which you can purchase and open. More »

Walgreens Sues Wegmans Over The Letter "W"
By Chris Morran on November 5, 2010 2:20 PM   90 Comments
If you thought the Dodgers complaint against Brooklyn Burger was a stretch, here's one that's even more confounding. Drug store chain Walgreen's has filed a lawsuit against regional grocery store chain Wegmans because of the "W" in its new logo. More »

(Paxton Holley)

The George Lucas Death Star Tries To Obliterate My Startup
By Phil Villarreal on September 14, 2010 3:30 PM   150 Comments
Matt says George Lucas' lawyers are sending Storm Troopers after him for using the word "droid" in the title of his startup, Addroid. He has precious few days to coordinate his Rebel Alliance defense and sent out a hologram (OK, an email) saying "Help me, Consumerists. You're my only hope!" More »

National Pork Board Attempting To Halt Sales Of Canned Unicorn Meat
By Chris Morran on June 22, 2010 10:15 AM   52 Comments
The ever-vigilant folks at the National Pork Board are out to put an end to the sale of Radiant Farms' canned unicorn meat. But it's not because they want to stop the slaughter of the one-horned flying horses, it's because they say the product infringes on their "other white meat" trademark. More »

(nvaine)

Put The Words 'Eat More' In Your Biz And Chick-Fil-A Will Cluck At You
By Phil Villarreal on May 17, 2010 9:40 AM   71 Comments
A Florida businessman named his market Eat More Produce, and Chick-fil-A has taken it as a personal insult, sending the business letters accusing it of ripping off its ad campaign, the Orlando Sentinel reports: More »

Abercrombie & Fitch Threatens To Sue Merchants In Hollister, California For Trademark Infringement
By Carey Alexander on May 2, 2009 8:00 PM   93 Comments

—>Taking a page out of Monster Cable's playbook, Abercrombie & Fitch has threatened to sue merchants in Hollister, California who sell clothes bearing their town's name. A&F claims that local merchants putting "Hollister" on their clothes will confuse notoriously inept surfers who can't distinguish between a town and A&F's Hollister Co. line. So what happens if the locals defy the upscale bully? According to David Cupps, Abercrombie's general counsel and harasser-in-chief, "If they try, they would get a call and much more."  More »

Monster Cable Awakens From Slumber, Sues Another Company
By Chris Walters on April 9, 2009 8:00 PM   176 Comments

—>Well, that didn't last long. Back in January, we were hopeful that Monster Cable had seen the error of its stupid ways and stopped suing everyone but the dictionary for using the word "monster" in their title. They were just hibernating, it seems, and now they're back and bullying another company—this time a family-owned transmission manufacturer in Florida named Monster Transmission.  More »

Law Firm 'Jones Day' Usurps Monster Cable For Stupidest Trademark Lawsuit Ever
By Chris Walters on February 18, 2009 10:25 PM   83 Comments

—>Monster Cable loves to sue companies that use "Monster" in their names, even if they don't sell cables and even if they've been around as long as Monster Cable has. Jones Day is a law firm that doesn't want anyone else to use standard, everyday formatting for links in news stories about its staff, and it succeeded in forcing a small start-up to cave in to its demands.  More »

Monster Cable Drops Suit Against Monster Mini Golf
By Ben Popken on January 7, 2009 4:53 PM   94 Comments

—>Monster Cable has decided to stop pursuing a trademark infringement against Monster Mini Golf. Judging by the post-settlement letter Noel sent the MiniGolf people, it seems that after both parties kicked their lawyers out of the room and talk directly, they were able to come to an amicable solution. Monster Cable will stop opposing the MiniGolf trademark and will cover MonsterMini Golf's attorney fees. Noel's letter, inside:  More »

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