As many business owners and operators know, the name of a company and the way it is advertised can have a considerable impact on the flow of business. Therefore, if a company with a similar name appears in the same line of business, a trademark infringement could potentially be declared and a business dispute could follow. Depending on the outcomes of such a dispute, a name change could be in order for a business.
Florida business owners may be interested in an infringement lawsuit of which one side is seeking an appeal. Brunswick Inn entered into litigation with The Inn at Brunswick Station after claiming that the second inn infringed upon their trademark. As a result, the jury on the case came to the verdict that The Inn at Brunswick Station must change its name and awarded Brunswick Inn $10,000 in damages.
Representatives for The Inn at Brunswick Station, however, are looking to appeal that verdict. They claim that having to change their name would result in a myriad of expenses associated with signage, uniform, advertisement and other changes that would stem from no longer being able to use their current name or the words “Brunswick” or “Inn” in their new name. They do not feel that any infringement took place.
When a business dispute such as this occurs, the situation can be immensely complicated. Determining whether any infringement actually took place could be a difficult undertaking, and feeling that the proper verdict is coming to can also be problematic. If a Florida company has found itself in a similar situation and feels that they need to pursue business litigation, information on state laws dealing with infringement and other legal business topics could provide reliable insight.
Source: timesrecord.com, After court fight, inns still battling over names, J.T. Leonard, Jan. 9, 2014