That’s a pretty big sum for a trademark infringement case, litigated in a federal court in Northern California. What is interesting is it wasn’t levied against some knock off artists directly. Instead, the charge was contributory infringement (kind of like aiding and abetting) against web site hosts that allowed fake L.V. hand bags to be [...]
Posted tagged ‘brands’
Louis Vuitton Wins a $32 Million Trademark Judgment
September 2, 2009To the Folks at Twitter: Use Trademarks to Monetize Your Traffic
June 13, 2009I just read an article on a packaging blog that mentions how companies are adding their Twitter ID on product packaging. I agree with the article’s conclusion that it’s a smart marketing move that allows a company using this strategy to stay in touch with customers. Pepsi, for example, added “twitter.com/pepsiraw” to its Pepsi Raw [...]
Starwood Hotels Alleges Trade Secret Theft
April 19, 2009Starwood Hotels, owners of the W Hotel brand of boutique hotels, filed a lawsuit against Hilton Hotels and several former Starwood executives hired by Hilton. The lawsuit alleges trade secret infringement. The complaint alleges that Hilton lured key W Hotel executives and that these individuals misappropriated W Hotel trade secrets to help Hilton with the [...]
Liquidators Buy Bankrupt Brands For $175 Million
April 16, 2009The New York Times has a great story on entrepreneurial companies that have purchased bankrupt company brands. Among them: Sharper Image, Linens ’n Things and Bombay.The price for these three trademark rights is estimated at $175 million.
Borrowing Blue
April 9, 2009Smart marketing. That is what comes to mind when I think about what China Glaze has done with the branding behind its For Audrey nail polish. Take a look at the product. Did you notice the clever associations the nail polish company created by relating the product to the blue color associated with an iconic [...]
Will Google Shut Down Copycat Site?
April 3, 2009A student in my Entrepreneurship class recently made me aware of the site: “Let me Google that for you” .com (LMGTFY). As the name of LMGTFY implies, the site shows you how to search Google if you follow the simple steps listed on the site. I showed the website in class, and one student immediately [...]
Knock-Off Awards
March 28, 2009Shame on you. That’s the purpose of Plagarius, a German cereremony that awards the most blatant knock-off artists. The purpose of the awards is to send a message that stealing innovations is not acceptable. Having their innovations knocked off in this manner can be an innovator’s worst nightmare. With some money and determination, they can [...]
News Brief: Lingerie Entrepreneur gets to Bottom of I.P. Controversy
March 8, 2009Pop culture critic and journalist C.E. Hanifin recently pointed out a fascinating intellectual property controversy at Target Addict. That blog comments on a news story run by The Virginian-Pilot, involving I.P. and lingerie. April Spring, of Norfolk Virginia, obtained a design patent in December, 2008 for a design of women’s briefs marketed under her Foxers [...]
