Just because you have a registered trademark, doesn't mean you can send a trademark infringement threat letter to everyone.
Here is a classic case of trademark bullying where someone with a trademark registration sends an unfounded trademarkinfringement cease and desist letter to "the little guy" and tries to broaden its trademark rights beyond what is allowed by law.
According to this New York Times article, fast-food chain, Chick-fil-A, sent a trademark infringement threat letter to Vermont small-business owner Bo Muller-Moore, a t-shirt maker, alleging that his hand-screened t-shirt slogan “Eat More Kale” infringes upon its registered trademark “Eat mor Chikin,” and is likely to cause consumer confusion and dilutes the distinction of their intellectual property. In response to the trademark cease and desist letter, Mr. Muller-Moore’s trademark infringement attorney sent a letter to Chick-fil-A contesting its claims, and rightly so.
Related Articles:
Chick-fil-A biting off a big trademark chew - Krios Consulting Blog
Sending a cease and desist letter is serious business. You better make sure you not only have trademark rights, that your name is registered but also that you can make a good faith argument that there is trademark infringement.
Posted by: Cease & Desist Letter | Thursday, 15 December 2011 at 09:45 AM