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Ikea Sends IkeaHackers Blog a C&D Order
An anonymous reader writes Ikea has sent the IkeaHackers blog a C&D order over the usage of the Ikea name. IkeaHackers hosts articles on how to hack Ikea furniture to make it more useful in daily life. From the article: "Speaking to the BBC, an Ikea representative said: 'We feel a great responsibility to our customers and that they always can trust Ikea... many people want to know what really is connected to Ikea - and what isn't. And we think that people should have that right. When other companies use the Ikea name for economic gain, it creates confusion and rights are lost.'
Site uses the Ikea logo and colors and contains no disclaimer. I can see how people could mistake it for an "official" site.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
Blame trademark law. They have to go after everybody or lose the mark.
Could "have" dammit!
They spent eight years trying to convince the site to use something that didn't infringe IKEA's trademark, and only after all that did they finally decide to actually use the courts.
So, maybe waiting 8 years and trying to work it out with these guys without suing them was the boneheaded move?
"Thuggish" is trying to work it out with these guys for 8 years before finally taking them to court?
Man, the thugs in your neighbourhood must be really polite.
No, they have to act to protect their trademark; the list of protective actions also includes licensing.
APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
They did work with them to maintain a middle ground.. He wanted to keep the site as it was, they wanted the site dismantled. Middle ground, he gets to keep the site but must make a disclaimer and remove the advertising...I know most /.ers dont understand what a middle ground is, but that is one....
It does not matter how much you like their products, you dont have a right to use their property without their prior permission, which he did not have.
When you cant win, ad hominem.
The Swedish government is not in the furniture business. Trademark is by area of operation. The main test is the probability of causing confusion, as to ownership, in consumers. Since the Ikea Hackers site looks very much like the Ikea site and they bot deal with furniture it is reasonable to believe that they both are owned by the same entity. It is not reasonable to associate a national flag and a private furniture manufacturer.