2011-10-28, 11:55 AM
Justin Wrote:That's a rather extreme example, given that these two logos look nothing alike and it's just a small cafe in a town in the middle of germany. These big time companies just like to think they can be bullies to the small time guys and want to try and make some easy cash.
Example is extreme indeed, but the main idea is the ruining of reputation, and reducing possible confusion for customers. Companies spend a lot of money in advertising and PR to build brand loyalty. Customers should be able to know that if they see a "Starbucks", that they can expect a certain level of quality in the product and service. If people drink a crappy product that they THINK is from Starbucks (whether or not it really is), then they're less likely to go/return to a real Starbucks in the future. They're also more likely to "warn" their friends never to go (back) to Starbucks.
Sardines Wrote:ElderTree your analogy seems more conducive to fraud than trademark infringement.
Then just change it to a bad cup of coffee with a nearly identical logo.
And for the record, I believe this case with Apple is silly since the logos are nowhere near similar. Different color scheme, one has text, one has a bite missing, one has a stem, one has a fucking kid in the middle of it, etc.