Bianca: Look at this logo I designed for our new line of products.
Vien: That’s really nice, but it looks a lot like our competitor’s logo. In fact, it’s almost identical.
Bianca: No, it’s not. The color is a different shade of green, the graphic is smaller, and instead of a picture of a woman, I’m using a picture of a man. They’re nothing alike.
Vien: That’s not what most people would say. Looking at your logo and our competitor’s logo side by side, I’d say this was a clear case of trademark infringement.
Bianca: Okay, to be honest, I purposely made them look a little alike so that customers will associate our products with their brand. So what? I don’t think that’s a big deal.
Vien: Our competitor has exclusive rights to use its logo. If ours is too similar, the trademark registry and the courts are going to nail us.
Bianca: So what do you want me to do?
Vien: Go back to the drawing board – literally!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse |