A burger place in Nelson, NZ called “Seabreeze City Takeaways,” had a burger on their menu called the “whopper,” for 12 years before someone told Burger King, and now the chain is threatening to sue. [More]
trademark
McDonald's McObjects To You Calling Your Event "McFest"
By 1.20.10
McDonald’s has nothing better to do than sue a 19 year old whose last name, McClusky, was the inspiration for the name of an event she puts on to raise money for the Chicago chapter of Special Olympics. The event is called McFest, and it has raised $30,000. Trouble is, McClusky has now spent $5,000 of it defending herself against McDonald’s legal assault. [More]
Google Names Phone After Blade Runner, Irritates Copyright Holder
By 1.6.10
Phillip K. Dick wrote a book called “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?,” which is too long to put in the title of this post, but was adapted into the film Blade Runner (which is awesome.) In this book, the android model in question is called the “Nexus-6.” Google’s phone, which runs an operating system called “Android” is called the “Nexus One.” This has pissed off Phillip K. Dick’s daughter. [More]
More Ways To Buy A Non-Apple Mac OS X Computer
By 10.6.09
Since last year, a small company called Psystar has been selling Mac clones that, in some cases, are more powerful than Apple’s own computers in the same price range. Now, the company has hit on another way to spread the OS X love: It will begin licensing its software to other companies that want to build and sell ersatz Macs. There are just a couple of problems that potential buyers might want to be aware of: Apple hasn’t given Psystar permission to do this, and is in the process of suing the company for copyright infringement. Oh, and Psystar is also in Chapter 11.
The North Face Thinks You Might Confuse Them With "The South Butt"
By 10.1.09
Is The North Face‘s near total overpriced puffy jacket dominance threatened by an 18-year-old college student who sells parody t-shirts, fleece jackets and shorts? Apparently!
Chicago "In-N-Out" Settles Trademark Infringement Lawsuit
By 8.6.09
Don’t think you can call your place “Nicky’s In-N-Out” and include a certain familiar-looking big yellow arrow in your logo and get away with it. In-N-Out — the beloved California burger chain — has settled a trademark lawsuit against a Chicagoland copycat gyro joint.
Abercrombie & Fitch Threatens To Sue Merchants In Hollister, California For Trademark Infringement
By 5.2.09
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.”
Corporate Lawyer To Corporations: Stop Suing Websites!
By 4.4.09
A well-respected lawyer has a simple message for corporations: stop suing disgruntled customers who start websites to air their grievances. Though William Pecau of Steptoe & Johnson thinks that online gripers are “self-righteous narcissists with time on their hands,” he also realizes that “shutting down a gripe site generally is not easy, often cannot be done, and often is counterproductive.” Pecau goes on to explain exactly why most online gripers are safe from over-hyped takedown notices…
Monster Cable Drops Suit Against Monster Mini Golf
By 1.7.09
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:
Domino's Trademarks Pizza Hut's Product Names In The UK
By 10.29.08
Pizza Hut is testing a new type of pizza in Florida and Texas. It’s called the ‘Natural Rustica’ and according to Brand Republic, the pizza features “sauces made from organic tomatoes and toppings without artificial preservatives. To enhance its premium credentials, the range is made from a multi-grain crust of traditional pizza dough and wholegrain infused with honey and olive oil.” Honey? Anyway, Domino’s must like this idea because they’ve trademarked the “Natural Rustica” name in the UK.
Attorneys Convince Monster That Consumers Can Tell The Difference Between A Deer Lick And An Audio Cable
By 7.22.08
According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, attorneys filed a dismissal motion on behalf of Denco, an ethanol producer in Morris, Minn. that had been selling a product called “Monster Deer Block” since 2005. What were they trying to dismiss? A trademark lawsuit from Monster Cable, of course.
Lawsuit: Monster Cable Thinks You Might Confuse Mini-Golf With Overpriced Cables
By 5.15.08
Pricey cable-maker Monster is worried you might confuse a haunted house-themed mini-golf course with its popular products, so they’re suing.
By 11.6.07
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Apparently, T-Mobile has trademarked the color magenta and has even sued one other company over their use of the color in an advertisement. Um, what? In other news, we’re looking into trademarking kitty cats and science. [ColourLovers]
Mattel Sues Porn Site Over "Barbie" Trademark
By 8.23.07
The El Segundo, Calif., toy maker sued Global China Networks LLC in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday over its Web site, http://www.chinabarbie.com. Global is a limited liability company organized in Florida and maintains a post-office box in New York, according to the complaint.
American Airlines Sues Google Over Trademarked Search Terms
By 8.20.07
American Airlines has sued Google over search terms that include words that American Airlines has trademarked. For example, if you search Google for “Aadvantage,” American Airline’s frequent flier program, Google will display a link to the program, but also show ads from competitors.
Johnson & Johnson Sues The American Red Cross Over "Red Cross" Symbol
By 8.9.07
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in New York, marked the breakdown of months of behind-the-scenes negotiations and prompted an angry response from the Red Cross.
