Friday, March 3, 2023
Famous Trademark Infringement Cases
Famous trademark infringement cases include instances where one company sues another for use of a similar trademark without approval.
Nike vs. Reebok
In 2000, Nike sued Reebok for infringing its “swoosh” trademark. The case was settled out of court, with Reebok agreeing to pay Nike $10 million and stop using the “swoosh” logo on its products.
McDonald’s vs. Burger King
In 2011, McDonald’s sued Burger King for infringing on its “i’m lovin’ it” slogan. McDonald’s claimed that Burger King’s “Whopper Lovin'” campaign was too similar to its own and would confuse consumers. The case was eventually settled out of court, with Burger King agreeing to pay McDonald’s an undisclosed sum.
Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi
In 1999, Coca-Cola sued Pepsi for infringing on its “Share a Coke” campaign. Coca-Cola claimed that Pepsi’s “Be Young, Have Fun, Drink Pepsi” campaign was too similar to its own and would confuse consumers. The case was eventually settled out of court, with Pepsi agreeing to pay Coca-Cola $13 million.
Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi (redux)
In 2003, Coca-Cola sued Pepsi for infringing its “contour bottle” trademark. The case was settled out of court, with Pepsi agreeing to stop using the contour bottle design.
Louis Vuitton vs. Dooney & Bourke
In 2006, Louis Vuitton sued Dooney & Bourke for infringing on its “toile monogram” design. The case was settled out of court, with Dooney & Bourke agreeing to pay Louis Vuitton an undisclosed sum and stop using the monogram design.
Adidas vs. Skechers
In 2015, Adidas sued Skechers for infringing on its three-stripe trademark design. The case was settled out of court, with Skechers agreeing to pay Adidas $40 million and stop using the three-stripe design on its products.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts v. GoDaddy.Com Inc.
In 2010, the Academy Awards sued domain company GoDaddy for trademark infringement over the name “oscar.” The Academy attacked GoDaddy for allowing customers to buy domain names, such as 2011Oscars.com, that were “confusingly” similar to the Academy’s trademarks.
About Michael Kondoudis
For more than twenty years, Michael Kondoudis has been the go-to trademarking expert for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Michael is a USPTO-licensed trademark and patent attorney, educator, speaker, and author of the Amazon best-seller: Going From Business to Brand. He is also an authority trusted by national news media on major trademark stories involving NFTs and the Metaverse. For more information, visit www.mekiplaw.com.