Company name trademark infringement is a common situation, especially for a lot of larger and successful companies. There are famous cases out there regarding larger corporations, in which public information is freely available. It is important for any company looking to claim company name trademark infringement, as it means you can learn from how they handled certain situations and how you can use it for your own situations. Many of these companies were sued or attempted to be sued by lesser corporations who claimed that they had infringed on them. Many of these cases also ended in settlements. For any aspiring solicitors looking to enter the law field to do with company name trademark infringement, or if you are a business looking to keep your brand and image protected, then these case studies are for you.
Apple Corps vs Apple
In 1987, Apple Corps attempted to sue Apple for company name trademark infringement. This was obviously has something to do with their name, as Apple Corps believed that they had been established first and that Apple was in violation of their brand. After battling it out in a court of law for a long time, Apple Corps decided to settle with Apple 5 years after their initial attempt to sue. As a result, Apple took over Apple Corps and all aspects of the brand relating to Apple. What can be learned here is that you should know where your brand is going to be within the next 5-10 years, as you may end up in a company name trademark infringement situation. It’s important to ensure that you know your products and your market, and the direction that you will be heading in the future, and ensure that your protection of the brand covers products in the early stages of development.
Monster Energy vs Thirsty Beats
Monster Energy vs Thirsty Beats is a real story about the little guy vs the big guy. Monster Energy is a huge company that provides a large number of the most popular energy drinks on the market. They are very popular and have been for quite some time, sponsoring extreme sporting events and advertising themselves as a full-on, adrenaline energy pumping drink. Thirsty Beats on the other hand is a healthy drink which is advertised as a way to rehydrate and stay healthy. Monster Energy sued Thirsty Beats for company name trademark infringement, as their mottos were similar.
WWE vs WWF
WWE (then known as WWF) was sued by the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) for name trademark infringement. The wrestling company had changed their name to the same acronym as the wildlife fund, and this led to a 13 year battle in court as a result. After a long and hard battle, the London high court ruled in favor of the World Wildlife Fund and the wrestling company had to spend millions to rebrand after their name trademark infringement. Had the wrestling company simply done their research and changed their name to WWE before the name trademark infringement, they could have saved themselves a significant amount of time and money.
These are all good examples of name trademark infringement cases which became famous throughout the world. These should demonstrate that name trademark infringement is a serious issue and can lead to a lot of time and money being spent in order to right wrongs. If you are starting a business, make sure you do your research before setting anything up, to avoid these types of issues.