R.J. Reynolds Sues eCigarette Web Sites

[laurel099]

R.J. Reynolds Sues eCigarette Web Sites


tobacco company claims sites sell liquid nicotine products using their famous cigarette brands.
The intellectual property holding company for R.J. Reynolds has filed two trademark lawsuits in North Carolina against online retailers selling liquid nicotine products.
The suits allege that the web sites sell products bearing the images of their famous Camel and Winston marks, such as in the image to the right.....


Full Article:


R.J. Reynolds Sues eCigarette Web Sites - Domain Name Wire

 

[ViewAskewVapar]

Just plain silly, as if R.J. Reynolds doesn't have enough money.

 

[TNT]

RJR is what it is, but it has to defend its trademarks. The sellers who used the trademarks were just looking for trouble... and they found it.

 

[jj2]

Just plain silly, as if R.J. Reynolds doesn't have enough money.

Don't make any difference they can't let anyone tread around on their turf.

 

[Eddie.Willers]

RJR is what it is, but it has to defend its trademarks. The sellers who used the trademarks were just looking for trouble... and they found it.

Quite right too!
Years back, I worked as a grease monkey for a place that did rebuilt electronic controllers for MBZ/Bosch fuel injection. They put out a flier with the Bosch logo - and got the "Cease And Desist" letter from Bosch USA's lawyers the following week!

 

[xg4bx]

thats why alot of juices are now called "cowboy" or whatever.

they should just change the name of the juice to sand llama, we'll catch their drift.

 

[Demarko]

I hate to see big guys picking on little guys, but in fact you HAVE to defend your trademarks and copyrights or they can be declared public domain.

 

[rothenbj]

I think they could advertise "camel toe" flavors and get away with it. You never know, might be a good seller.

 

[Uncle Willie]

In the past, when I've seen a website selling liquid and using any real cig graphic, I've always sent them a message regarding their legal liability .. why .. ?? Certainly not to be snarky, but because I was sued years ago by Fender Guitars for making a Fender copy .. learned my lesson fast ..

These days, you will get caught .. it's just a matter of time .. of course, the clowns in China can clone whatever they want and get away with it ..

 

[asnider123]

Dromedary and Churchill would be fine, I'm a-thinkin'

 

[asnider123]

of course, the clowns in China can clone whatever they want and get away with it ..

Yah, but the retailers in the US better be wary of what chicom juice it advertises. What's this world coming to?

 

[Placebo Effect]

VeppoCig is trying to get some publicity out of this -- Phillip Morris Sues Veppo E-Cigarettes

 

[sqirl1]

all I can say is..... these e-cig sites are dumbasses. but overall, I think this is going to be good for the rest of us. all this'll do in the long run is give e-cigs more publicity!

 

[Vocalek]

Dromedary and Churchill would be fine, I'm a-thinkin'

You beat me to it!

 

[asnider123]

Interesting article from back in March about V2 and PG dispute about a cowboy

Product Naming for Marlboro Man Makes V2 Cigs Says Good-Bye to Cowboy

Here is an interesting product naming dispute that didn't end in a shoot 'em up kind of way.

Philip Morris recently demanded that V2 Cigs, a company that makes electronic cigarettes, change the name of its Cowboy brand cigarettes.

Phillip Morris claimed that the V2 brand infringed on the Marlboro trademark by using a cowboy graphic. The V2 cowboy, they contend, creates a likelihood of confusion with the mighty Marlboro Man trademark, one of the biggest icons in American advertising.

V2 is now calling this product V2 Red with an image of a man on a motorcycle.

I'm fascinated to see how quickly V2 acceded to Philip Morris. I'm sure they decided they did not want to fight the tobacco giant since it does seem that Philip Morris owns the cowboy space with Marlboro.

I have to wonder, however, if they also don't have a claim on the word and color "red?" The standard Marlboro cigarette is called a Marlboro Red by the man on the street and it comes in a red pack with red imagery.

Where Philip Morris cannot use the cowboy imagery (as in England), they rely solely on that red color. In fact, they have long been trying to "build up the association between [the] red [color] and Marlboro so that, even in an ad-less future, the mere sight of the color will trigger the brand in smokers' minds."

Marlboro owns the color red, in the mind of the consumer, as it applies to smoking just as Coke owns it when it comes to colas. But they haven't trademarked it. Possibly because they can't. The name is ubiquitous and the color is on many other cigarette packs.

It's also partly due to the fact that the name comes from Great Marlborough Street in London. It was launched in 1924 as a cigarette for women with the slogan "Mild as May" and then repositioned towards men in the 1950s using the macho cowboy icon so men would feel comfortable smoking a cigarette with a filter.

 

[bjannr]

Why not just name the juice "One Hump"?

 

[asnider123]

Why not just name the juice "One Hump"?

Or SATS, "Smelly Animal That Spits" .. camels are, in my opinion, disgusting critters and I don't know why you would name anything after them. IMHO

 

[Gristle]

I think the could advertise "camel toe" flavors and get away with it. You never know, might be a good seller.

Somehow that just conjurs up a totally different sensory thought than intended.

 

[Hiryu]

The tobacco giant has recently been in negotiations with Ruyan, a large e-cigarette manufacturer in China. Only speculations can be made at this point as nothing has been disclosed. As the only real potential competition to cigarettes to come along in years, perhaps ever, it's well known the electronic cigarette industry has the attention of big tobacco. In this case, a small manufacturer based in Colorado, E-CigaretteDirect.com and Veppocig.com.

BEWARE! The glory, free days days of vaping are at an end!

Seriously, if Ruyan/Dekang do sell to PM USA, that would mean they have 0 brains. Only US-based ventures work under the misguided principle of start-a-business-and-cash-out-as-soon-as-you-become-profitable-while-other-people-get-a-LOT-more-money-out-of-it-in-the-long-run-than-you-got-on-your-silly-little-sale-and-then-you-will-be-kicking-yourself-for-selling-you-stupid-dolt.

If BT wants their own e-cig moneys, let them start their own e-cig brands.

 

[Thulium]

Why not just name the juice "One Hump"?

I suggest the "other" brand be renamed to a symbol:

- 'B' +