Total Croc: Porsche suing popular shoe company over naming rights?
Porsche AG is known for vigorously defending its intellectual property. It's understandable, as the company has spent more than half a century building its performance-oriented automotive brand around design patents, logos, and the company's familiar vehicle nomenclature. Crocs, Inc., on the other hand, is a shoe manufacturer credited with introducing the world to low-cost injection-molded foam footwear. Crocs does not build cars... um, thankfully.What Crocs did do was name its popular sandal the "Cayman" (pictured at right). Of course, this set off all the alarms at Porsche as that name is already trademark registered by the automaker for its two-seat sports coupe. What followed next was expected... in mid-May, Crocs received a letter from Porsche notifying them of the alleged trademark infringement. At the end of July, Porsche filed a notice of injunction in German courts against the European use of the Cayman name by Crocs.
While we realize that few of our readers would ever confuse a pair of Crocs' Cayman with the Porsche Cayman, one has to wonder if Porsche is taking this a bit too far. Rumor has it that the Cayman Islands in the western Caribbean are monitoring the situation and already working on their own legal defense... Hat tip to Freddy for the lead!
Gallery: 2010 Porsche Cayman
[Source: Deadline Watch]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Farmboy 3:35PM (11/10/2009)
I hate those foamy shoes anyways.....
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Need More Lutz For GM 3:41PM (11/10/2009)
+1, If Lutz was running Crocs, Inc. he would fly to Germany and stick a Croc in those German @$$e$!
Jim 7:36PM (11/10/2009)
"+1, If Lutz was running Crocs, Inc. he would fly to Germany and stick a Croc in those German @$$e$!"
dude, the next time you have a thought, just... let it go.
nnowakbabyy 6:41PM (11/11/2009)
agreeeed.
Swede 3:36PM (11/10/2009)
Members of the Alligatoridae around the world eagerly await the next move in this conflict and contemplate what's for dinner.
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Salty Gator 3:39PM (11/10/2009)
I nominate Porsche as the new mayor of Duche-achusetts!
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James Sonne 3:52PM (11/10/2009)
I assume you meant "douche".
In order to maintain a trademark, you have to prove that you have actively defended that trademark against infringement to prove that you want to keep that trademark. This is a frivolous lawsuit just so Porche can show that they are actively defending their property. It's all because of poorly defined trademark laws, it has nothing to do with Porsche being pernicious.
zamafir 4:11PM (11/10/2009)
@James Sonne - thank you, you beat me to it. these cases sound stupid, because they are, but they are required.
James 1:48AM (11/11/2009)
zamafir, I can't see how a lawsuit like this is "necessary."
Yes, it is true that in order to maintain a trademark, active legal use and defense of the trademark are necessary. However, Crocs sells shoes. Porsche sells automobiles.
Typically when trademark issues are brought before courts in the situation described here, there is some overlap in the types of products being sold between the two companies. (Like for example the Scion tC, which couldn't be named the xC in accordance with other Scion vehicle naming, because that naming scheme had already been trademarked by Volvo for its cross-country line.)
In recognizing the slim likelihood for anyone to confuse the shoe with the car... I can't see how this lawsuit actually makes any sense. Waste of the court's time.
Farmboy 3:40PM (11/10/2009)
Actually when you think about it, remember Monster Cables? They are suing everyone for using the name "Monster."
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Robert 4:00PM (11/10/2009)
And every geek worth their salt hates Monster Cables.
MikeofLA 4:17PM (11/10/2009)
Here's a fun read about Monster Cables http://www.boingboing.net/2008/03/03/do-coat-hangers-soun.html
Peter 3:42PM (11/10/2009)
I guess I will no longer be able to impress the ladies by saying I have a pair of Caymans......
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Taglane 3:43PM (11/10/2009)
This argument is gonna get uglier then their new Panamera...
Sorry I had to. It's not that bad though.
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RACEY 3:47PM (11/10/2009)
The need to sue the small reptile of the same name while they are at it...dumb.
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rcedenocf 4:15PM (11/11/2009)
A Cayman is a vehicle made by Porsche while a Caiman is a crocodile species.
tankd0g 7:58PM (11/11/2009)
It's "cayman" in English and Carib, "caiman" in Latin and Spanish.
Shipey 3:48PM (11/10/2009)
If they're so interested in protecting their image, perhaps they should be suing themselves for producing the Cayenne and Panamera.
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Farris 4:27PM (11/10/2009)
Autoblog needs to add another star to the rating system for your comment, Shipey. I couldn't agree more.
hex311k 4:27PM (11/10/2009)
AWWW BUUURN