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$7 Billion Giant The North Face Sues College Kid

Dec 18th, 2009
by WanderingJustin.
1 comment

There’s nothing like seeing a teenager with an idea and some can-do attitude trying to put himself through college by earning his money.
Obviously, though, The North Face disagrees with me. That’s why the company has unleashed the legal hounds on Jimmy Winkelmann, 18. He founded The South Butt as a parody of The North Face, which is purportedly worth $7 billion.
“Unfortunately, and inevitably, The North Face’s success attracts opportunists seeking to pirate its famous trademarks for their inferior knockoffs,” The Montreal Gazette quoted from the 84-page lawsuit.
The article has no information about which court the suit is filed in. This apparently started a few months ago with a cease-and-desist letter. The North Face is clearly out-of-touch – The South Butt isn’t making knock-offs, but products absolutely counter to its own. It’s spirited fun, and obviously not meant to confuse the buyer. The South Butt does not in any way appear to be trying to get hard-core ice climbers to grab their t-shirts and fleece for a technical ascent.
I use a lot of products from The North Face. But if it insists on dragging The South Butt to court, that’s the end for me. I am suspending all purchases of products from The North Face until such time as I’ve deemed it to have straightened up and decided to fly right. Heck, The North Face should give young Jimmy a job when he graduates from the University of Missouri Columbia.
What is it with monolithic companies? Do they not realize that they are their own worst enemies, [...]

Hansen Beverages Takes Aim at Vermont Craft Brewer

Oct 15th, 2009
by WanderingJustin.
2 comments

There’s yet another reason not to like Monster energy drinks. You know the ones – they come in huge cans slathered in busy graphics, promising more energy to pimply basement dwellers so they can frag each other while playing Halo better.
Hansen, uber-manufacturer of this concoction of mysterious and noxious ingredients, is taking aim at Rock Art, a Vermont-based craft brewer. That’s because Rock Art, before Monster oozed out of the primordial marketing sludge of Corporate America, had the audacity to create a brew and name it Vermonster.
“Oh, noes!” shrieked the suits at Hansen. “It has the word ‘monster’ in it! Heaven forfend! How will we possibly afford more yachts now?”
And thus they let slip the dogs of law, who ran barking to Rock Art to order its brewer (Matt Nedeau) to quit brewing, selling and promoting with the name Vermonster. Here’s a great, succinct synopsis. I’ve read in several stories that legal counsel believes Rock Art would prevail in court – if they can afford to fight it out. In other words, Hansen can bully them in the pocketbook, regardless of the letter of the law. That’s an outrage and a travesty, a complete perversion of the way justice should work.
This bit of heinousness reminds me of a similar incident between Arizona Ice Tea (which has nothing to do with Arizona) and Four Peaks Brewing (which isn’t near Four Peaks, but is at least in Arizona). Apparently, Arizona Ice Tea was so convinced there would be confusion in the market [...]

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