'Not funny!' says Jack Daniel's in lawsuit to stop imitation dog toy

Robert Besser
23 Nov 2022, 20:10 GMT+10

In court filings, Jack Daniel's claims that Bad Spaniels toy broke the law by mimicking the square shape of its whisky bottle.
The toy retails for $13 to $20 and the packaging notes in small type, stating, "This product is not affiliated with Jack Daniel Distillery."
In a case supported by other major manufacturers, such as Campbell Soup, Patagonia and Levi Strauss, the high court could decide as soon as this week whether to hear the case.

WASHINGTON D.C.: Jack Daniel's has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its case against the manufacturer of the plastic Bad Spaniels toy, urging justices to take what they say is an important case for trademark law.

In a case supported by other major manufacturers, such as Campbell Soup, Patagonia and Levi Strauss, the high court could decide as soon as this week whether the justices will agree to hear the case.

In court filings, Jack Daniel's claims that Bad Spaniels toy broke the law by mimicking the square shape of its whisky bottle.

The toy retails for $13 to $20 and the packaging notes in small type, stating, "This product is not affiliated with Jack Daniel Distillery."

Lawyer for the toy maker, Arizona-based VIP Products, said Jack Daniel's cannot accept a joke. "It is ironic that America's leading distiller of whiskey both lacks a sense of humor and does not recognize when it, and everyone else, has had enough," the lawyer wrote to the court.

The toy manufacturer told the justices that Jack Daniel's has 'waged war" against the company for "having the temerity to produce a pun-filled parody" of its bottle.

In response, Jack Daniel's lead attorney, Lisa Blatt, said in her filing, "To be sure, everyone likes a good joke. But VIP's profit-motivated 'joke' confuses consumers by taking advantage of Jack Daniel's hard-earned goodwill."

Blatt noted that a lower court decision provides "near-blanket protection" to humorous trademark infringement.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Sydney Sun.

More Information

21 ℃

Mostly Cloudy in Sydney

Business

Section

Nasdaq Composite drops 208 points Tuesday

NEW YORK, New York - There was a major bust on Wall Street on Tuesday as investors continued to fret ...

UAW stir hits GM, Stellantis dealers, customers with parts shortage

DETROIT, Michigan: This week, the United Auto Workers (UAW) expanded its members' strike to include dealers selling and servicing General ...

Toyota aiming for over 600,000 electric vehicles by 2025

TOKYO, Japan: Toyota Motor (7203.T) is ramping up its production of electric vehicles (EVs) under both the Toyota and luxury ...

240,000 Ford EcoSport SUVs being investigated for oil pump failures

WASHINGTON D.C.: After consumer complaints of oil pump failures, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation ...

U.S. stocks make minor gains, Nasdaq Composite climbs 60 points

NEW YORK, New York - With no major news Monday, and nothing on the horizon, U.S. stocks remained little moved, ...

US Federal Reserve cutting 300 people from payroll

WASHINGTON D.C.: In a small but rare reduction to its headcount, which has grown steadily since 2010, the US Federal ...

International

Section