Consumerist

Posts Tagged “

Trademarks

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t-mobile

T-Mobile C And D's Blog For Using Magenta

Citing trademark infringement concern, T-mobile is demanding that gadget blog site Engadget Mobile stop using magenta in its logo. In a letter posted sent to Engadget, T-Mobile pronounced, "Based on the different character of the goods and services offered by the Deusche Telekom Group and Weblogs, we assume that it is in the best interest of both of our entities to ensure that the particular services can be clearly separated and that consumers are not confused..." And it's not an early April Fool's joke, they say. It's not totally unreasonable, there is precedent for this sort of thing. Like the time T-Mobile sued a small a book-on-demand-publisher for having magenta in its logo.

Deutsche Telekom / T-Mobile demands Engadget Mobile discontinue using the color magenta [Engadget] (Thanks to Tristan!)

7:44 PM on Mon Mar 31 2008
By Ben Popken
4,317 views, 63 comments

Latest by Trai_Dep: @trujunglist: Hmm. Damn. ...Cross-patent? more »

trademarks

Plastic Surgery Company Sues Consumer Site For Negative Customer Reviews

Lifestyle Lift claims it's a "minor one-hour procedure with major results," but a lot of customers who have paid for the procedure have been left unhappy, and they've consequently posted reviews about it on a plastic surgery review blog called RealSelf. Lifestyle Lift has sued RealSelf, claiming trademark infringement, and now RealSelf has countersued, claiming Lifestyle Lift padded RealSelf's site with shill reviews. More »

8:49 AM on Tue Mar 4 2008
By Chris Walters
9,672 views, 31 comments

Latest by Spooty: Followup: the RealSelf blog linked to in the post has this: "UPDATE: 5/12/08 - this matter was settled by more »

Pillsbury has told a New York food co-op to stop using the phrase "bake-off" because they own it. Pillsbury coined the phrase back in 1949 (according to this unverifiable web source), and then trademarked it in the early 1970s (according to another). Now you know. (Thanks to Sarah!)

22 comments

trademarks

Starbucks To Sue Small Michigan Coffee Shop For Trademark Infringement

Better not use a green circle for your coffee shop logo because Starbucks has lawyers and they'll sue ya. Conga Coffee & Tea, a small two-store operation in Michigan, is being threatened with a lawsuit because their logo bears "striking resemblance" to Starbucks' famous mermaid logo. At least that's what Starbucks says. More »

12:17 PM on Mon Nov 12 2007
By Meg Marco
9,363 views, 66 comments

Latest by hinten: @darkened: This. more »

lawsuits

Agassi Sues Target Over Unauthorized Flip-Flops

Andre Agassi is suing Target for slapping his name on a pair of brown men's flip-flops without his permission, says the AP. More »

1:49 PM on Fri Sep 21 2007
By Meg Marco
2,129 views, 5 comments

lawsuits

MiracleGro Sues Sellers Of "Worm Poop" For Trademark Infringement

TerraCycle a small, not yet profitable, organic fertilizer company based in lovely Trenton, New Jersey is being sued for trademark infringement and false advertising by the manufacturers of MiracleGro. The complaint stems from TerraCycle's use of the colors yellow and green in their packaging. TerraCycle sells organic liquefied "worm poop" packaged in donated plastic soda bottles. Scott's is a $2.7 billion dollar company, according to the Wall Street Journal. More »

11:36 AM on Thu May 24 2007
By Meg Marco
2,281 views, 45 comments

Latest by palaste: @Onouris: They probably tried first to copyright the whole concept of fertiliser but then found out that they can't just more »

trademarks

Tan Hill Inn 1, KFC 0: KFC Drops Legal Action Against Tiny British Pub

Only a few days after confirming that legal action would proceed against the tiny Tan Hiill Inn for the use of the trademarked term "Family Feast" on their once-a-year Christmas menu, KFC has changed its tiny chicken-sized mind. More »

1:38 PM on Mon May 14 2007
By Meg Marco
2,719 views, 22 comments

starbucks

Starbucks Soon To Equal Coffee?

Over at Branding Post, we saw this quote about a grim dystopian future in which the word coffee no longer exists: when you pendulously breasted IHOP waitress emerges in a puff of brown cigarette smoke from the kitchens to demand your order, you won't ask for a cup of coffee. You'll ask for a Starbucks. More »

8:01 AM on Wed May 3 2006
By consumerist.com
505 views, 7 comments

Latest by Bubba Barney: 'I came across your post on consumerist.com: There's actually a technical term for when a company's name is so synonymous with more »

copyright

Coke Stole Slogan, Claims Cricket-Cola

A small soda company is suing Coca-Cola for trademark infringement. And they're wrong. More »