Crappy online vendor TigerDirect sues Apple over OS X Tiger "trademark"

[emulatorloo]

This will be worth a good laugh . . . .

http://www.macnn.com/articles/05/04/28/apple.sued.over.tiger/

<snip>

Apple sued over use of 'Tiger', injunction sought
Thursday, April 28, 2005 @ 4:05pm

Apple has been sued by Tiger Direct, Inc. for allegedly infringing its trademark with the Mac OS X 'Tiger', according to Bloomberg. Tiger Direct sells computers and related products on the Internet; it says the Apple's software package, marketing, and use of Tiger in the company's forthcoming operating system, threatens to dilute its trademarked 'Tiger' name. It also accused Apple of deceptive and unfair trade practices in the federal lawsuit filed in a Miami court. "Apple Computer has created and launched a nationwide media blitz led by Steven Jobs, overwhelming the computer world with a sea of Tiger references," according to the lawsuit. Bloomberg says that court injunction, if granted, could halt the rollout of new Mac OS X Tiger operating system, which will be officially released tomorrow.

<snip>

[TommyO]

1. Apple Computer Inc.

does have a registered trademark of their own for "Tiger" as it relates to computer operating system software.

Serial number 78269988. You can check it out at http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=searchss&state=b5778r.1.1

I don't think Tiger Direct has a leg to stand on here, it was published for opposition on 8/17/2004, just two days shy of my 40th birthday.

[emulatorloo]

2. My take is TigerDirect wants free publicity - file a lawsuit, get press

get written up in all the papers.

the logic of their lawsuit is that a consumer would be confused, ala:

"I meant to buy a new monitor from Tiger Direct, and I ended up with this Mac operating system disc instead!"

Are consumers really that dumb?

[realisticphish]

3. you dont want

to know the answer to that question :evilgrin:

[MajorFlaw]

4. Here's a good slashdot thread on the subject:

http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/28/2214245&tid=123