Smyth, a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Chicago, has sued Smyth Tavern in New York for trademark infringement, claiming the use of the name causes confusion and unfairly trades on Smyth's reputation, though the NYC restaurant argues their markets are different and no confusion exists.
The Utah Mammoth NHL team is fighting a trademark lawsuit from Mammoth Hockey LLC, an Oregon company that sells hockey bags, arguing that their branding is distinct and that a forced name change would cause significant financial and reputational harm, while the bag company claims consumer confusion. The team emphasizes the differences in branding and the late objection from the bag company, asserting their extensive investment and strong market presence.
J.M. Smucker Co. has filed a lawsuit against Trader Joe’s, alleging that their new frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches infringe on Smucker’s Uncrustables trademarks in design and packaging, claiming the similarities could confuse customers and violate intellectual property rights.
Apple has filed a lawsuit against Apple Cinemas, a small theater chain expanding rapidly and using a similar name, claiming trademark infringement and potential consumer confusion, especially near Apple's headquarters. The chain's attempts to register its name were denied, and Apple has issued a cease and desist, citing its prior trademarks and brand protection efforts.
OpenAI, in collaboration with Jony Ive's design studio, is developing a new AI device that will not be a wearable or in-ear device, with a release date at least in 2026, amid ongoing trademark disputes and legal challenges.
OpenAI and Jony Ive's partnership for an AI-centric device was halted due to a trademark lawsuit from startup iyO, which claims the use of the name 'io' infringes on its brand. The lawsuit reveals ongoing tensions in the AI wearable space, with no products expected to launch soon.
OpenAI has removed references to the hardware startup io, co-founded by Jony Ive, from its website and social media following a trademark lawsuit from the startup Iyo. Despite this, OpenAI confirms the deal with io is still ongoing, but the public announcement and related content have been temporarily taken down due to legal issues.
OpenAI has removed a promotional video featuring Jony Ive and CEO Sam Altman following a trademark lawsuit from AI device maker IYO, which claims the video may cause consumer confusion. Despite the removal of the video, Bloomberg reports that the acquisition deal remains on track, with a restraining order related to the io name being the reason for the material removal.
Mondelez International has filed a lawsuit against Aldi, alleging that Aldi's store-brand packaging copies its products like Oreos and Wheat Thins, potentially confusing customers and infringing on trademarks. Mondelez seeks damages and an injunction to stop Aldi from selling infringing products.
Mondelez International has filed a lawsuit against Aldi, accusing the grocery chain of copying its product packaging to confuse customers and harm its brands, seeking damages and an injunction to stop the infringing products.
Elon Musk's X Corp. is facing a trademark lawsuit from Florida-based social media ad agency X Social Media, which claims that the rebranding of Twitter to "X" infringes on its own mark. X Social Media argues that the use of the "X" causes consumer confusion and has resulted in lower search rankings for its own name. The lawsuit seeks to stop X Corp. from using the "X" in its advertising and marketing materials, as well as damages. This may be the first of many lawsuits targeting Musk's rebranding efforts, as hundreds of companies already use the "X" mark.
Sweetgreen has renamed its Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl to Chicken + Chipotle Pepper Bowl, ending a two-day-old legal battle with Chipotle Mexican Grill. The move came after Chipotle filed a trademark lawsuit against Sweetgreen for using the term "Chipotle" in the name of its menu item.
Monster Energy has filed a legal complaint against indie game Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals for including the word "Monsters" in its title, claiming it is confusingly similar to their energy drink. Glowstick Entertainment, the game's developer, has pledged to fight the claim in court, calling Monster a "notorious trademark troll." The company has previously targeted Ubisoft's Immortals Fenyx Rising for its original title, Gods and Monsters. Glowstick has been using the Monsters & Mortals branding for years and has partnered with high-profile franchises like Silent Hill.
Jack Daniel's has taken a trademark lawsuit against VIP Products, the maker of a dog toy that parodies the whiskey bottle. The US Supreme Court must decide whether the "Bad Spaniels" vinyl chew toy is an "expressive work" protected by the First Amendment or whether it infringes on Jack Daniel's trademark rights. The toy has the same shape as the whiskey bottle with a label that reads "The Old No. 2 on Your Tennessee Carpet" and jokes it's "43% Poo by Vol" and "100% Smelly." A decision is expected in June.