Butlers in the Buff, the events company specialising in the provision of oiled-up, ripped, and almost naked young men, has agreed a favourable settlement with Bufflers Entertainment, a competitor in the industry. Butlers in the Buff owns an eponymous trademark, which it had claimed was infringed by various mentions of “Butlers in the Buff” in…
Back in June we reported on how Louboutin had successfully defended its red sole trade mark from Dutch fashion chain, Van Haren: the full article can be read here. In summary, Louboutin sued Van Haren after it started selling its version of a red soled high heel shoe. For those who may not have heard…
So sang Gogol Bordello in their gypsy punk hit in 2006. It was the band’s breakthrough track and they have sadly failed to stay in the mainstream ever since. Cadbury, however, fear that competitors may indeed start wearing purple following its abandonment of a trademark. Cadbury has duelled with Nestlé and a plethora of other…
Recently McDonald’s lost its trade mark battle with Irish chain Supermac’s over its trademark rights in the words ‘Big Mac’ as McDonald’s had dropped a Whopper by failing to prove genuine use of the mark. Following the defeat in the EUIPO, Burger King’s Swedish operation has taken the opportunity to take a bite out of…
The EUIPO has handed down its judgment in the dispute between Irish fast food chain Supermac’s and McDonald’s. The dispute began in 2017 with Supermac’s arguing that McDonald’s was using its name to prevent Supermac’s expansion into the rest of Europe. The judgment of the Cancellation Division cancels McDonald’s registration of ‘Big Mac’ which was…
Music artist Rihanna has made headlines this week after it has emerged that she is embroiled in a legal battle with her own father. The pop star, famous for music tracks such as ‘Umbrella’ and ‘We Found Love’, launched her own label in 2017 named Fenty (after her surname). Since its inception, the Fenty brand…
Back in 2016 we reported on the dispute between luxury jewellery retailer Tiffany & Co (Tiffany) and US wholesaler, Costco. The article can be read here. The dispute, which arose in 2013, centered around Costco’s use of the word ‘Tiffany’ in its sale of diamond rings. Tiffany issued proceedings for trade mark infringement arguing that…
Sportswear giant Nike Inc has been accused of trademark infringement by fellow American competitor, Lontex Corporation. Lontex has claimed Nike has used its branding term, ‘Cool Compression’, without permission in its filing at the Pennsylvania Federal Court. Lontex started using the term ‘Cool Compression’ in 2007 and subsequently registered the term as a trademark the…
Hakuna Matata, the Swahili term for ‘no worries’ or ‘no problem’ that became synonymous with Disney classic ‘the Lion King’ is at the centre of a dispute this week in which Disney is accused of colonialism. The phrase, used normally as part of the Swahili language, was featured throughout the 1994 Disney classic in the…
A High Court claim has been commenced by Brandlogic, which operates the clothing brand ‘Bentley’. It has brought proceedings against Bentley Motors Limited, the British luxury car manufacturer, for trade mark infringement. According to the UK Intellectual Property Office Brandlogic and its subsidiaries, one being Bentley 1962 Ltd, own three trade marks for clothing bearing…
