Trader Joe’s, the well-loved grocery chain filed suit against Trader Joe, a crypto exchange website, on October 5. The grocer is suing for a variety of federal trademark claims based on its word mark Trader Joe’s that is very similar to the name of the cyrpto exchange company as well as its domain name.
So you have a great idea for a new business and have thought of the perfect name. But what if it turns out there’s a company who has already been using the same (or a similar) name to the one you’re planning on? Or perhaps you’ve registered a domain name that happens to be similar to another’s?
The good news is this isn’t necessarily a cause to change the name you loved. The bad news is there are a couple of claims that could be made against you depending on your circumstances.
An Accidental Run in with IP
Just a few years ago, I knew nothing about the legal profession, much less Intellectual Property’s role in the field as the sector certifying legal rights to patents, trademarks and copyrights. That all changed May of 2020, when my internship working in DC fell through due to Covid. I was panicking about the potential gap in my resume and at a complete loss as to what to do with myself going forward. But I was also absurdly relieved.
Continue reading “An Ode to the Scientifically Challenged: Fear Not IP”
