Kroger is a grocery store super giant. Operating around 2,800 stores nationally, it is America’s largest grocery store chain. Its stores generated $115.3 billion in total sales in 2016 with approximately $20 billion in sales coming from its in-house brand “Private Selection”. That’s a lot of dough. So when European grocery giant Lidl began opening stores in the US and using its in-house brand “Preferred Selection”, Kroger quickly took action to protect its hard-won turf by filing a trademark infringement and dilution lawsuit, claiming that Preferred Selection is likely to cause confusion among consumers and dilutes the value of Kroger’s registered trademarks.
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Category: International Trademarks
Florida Lawmakers Hoping Trump Will Help with Havana Club Trademark Dispute
As President Obama attempted to normalize relations with Cuba toward the end of his presidency, a byproduct was the renewal of a contested trademark registration on Havana Club by Cubaexport, an agency of the Cuban government. Florida lawmakers are now hoping that a more US-centric Trump administration can help them roll this back.
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Adidas and Puma Tangle over Use of Stripes on Soccer Cleats
Adidas and Puma share a long and entangled history. In the late 1940s, the two companies were started by German brothers Adolf (Adi) Dassler and Rudolph Dassler after a family feud led the brothers to part ways. Adidas was registered on August 18, 1949 by Adi, following a family feud at the Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik company between him and his older brother Rudolf. Rudolf established Puma before Adi established Adidas. The companies quickly became business rivals. To this day, the companies are still headquartered in the same German city of Herzogenaurach and continue as rivals. This familiar history is behind Adidas assertion in a recently filed a trademark infringement suit against Puma that the alleged trademark infringement shouldn’t be seen as innocent. Continue reading “Adidas and Puma Tangle over Use of Stripes on Soccer Cleats”
Trump Trademark Rights Get Trump Bump in China
In the past, China has had somewhat of a reputation for weak protection of intellectual property rights and a large market for counterfeit products. Prominent companies, including Donald Trump’s, have long dealt with Chinese imitators creating knock-offs and using deceptive trade practices. But now it seems that Trump’s election win may be helping his trademark case in China.
While President-Elect Donald Trump’s brand is already well established with many ventures, including real estate holdings, beauty competitions, and reality TV shows, his name and brand are now becoming known to nearly everyone on the planet as he ascends to the most powerful position in American government. This wide-spread recognition may be supporting Trump’s fight over parties who have looked to capitalize on his name in China. Continue reading “Trump Trademark Rights Get Trump Bump in China”
Mars May be too Late to Secure M&M’s Branding Rights in Sweden
M&M’s may be loved the world over, but if Swedish people want them, they may need a new name. This news comes after the Swedish Court of Appeals ruled that the M&M’s mark causes confusion among Swedish consumers due to a traditional Swedish chocolate candy that also comes marked with the letter “M”. Mars, the manufacturer of M&M’s, will now need to change the name of the candies in Sweden, appeal the decision, or face penalties laid out by the Court of Appeals if it continues selling there.
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“Je Suis Charlie” Trademark Aftermath
Following a growing trend of attempts to trademark social rallying cries, two trademark applications have been submitted on “Je Suis Charlie”. Je Suis Charlie was a common slogan of support at the rallies and in social media in reference to the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris. It quickly became an international statement of solidarity against violence and terrorism. Like other social movement slogans before it, trademark applications quickly followed its viral spread. But like those other slogans, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is unlikely to grant a trademark registration for Je Suis Charlie.